
The Commission on Higher Education (CHED) joined the nation in celebrating the birthday of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. and reaffirmed its support for his initiative to bring government programs and services closer to Filipinos through the 2026 Handog ng Pangulo.
Held simultaneously across the country, Handog ng Pangulo connected Filipinos to services covering health and nutrition, jobs and livelihoods, agriculture, education and skills training, social welfare, legal and financial concerns, and public safety.
CHED supported the initiative by making scholarships, student financial assistance, college guidance, and other higher education services more accessible to Filipino learners and their families.
In Marinduque, CHED Chairperson Shirley Agrupis served as the President’s representative and joined the provincial government and other national agencies in delivering government programs and assistance to residents of the province.

She also led the distribution and awarding of various government assistance and services to target beneficiaries, including Tertiary Education Subsidy (TES) grants to students of Marinduque State University and the delivery of CHED services during the activity.
Chairperson Agrupis extended the message of the President to the participants, emphasizing that despite recent hardships, Filipinos are always ready to unite and overcome adversity, which is why the government is actively bringing its services directly to different provinces across the country.
The initiative also reached learners in other parts of the country, where CHED Regional Offices worked with state and local universities and colleges to provide scholarship information, admission assistance, and ceremonial awarding of TES grants to beneficiaries.
Participants nationwide also received information and assistance on graduate scholarships, flexible learning, micro-credentials, ETEEAP for recognizing prior work and learning toward a degree, opportunities to return to college, and verification of academic records.
By bringing these services closer to communities, CHED aims to make it easier for students and families to find the support they need to pursue and finish higher education. (PR)
