A resident Arroyo’s backing for science and engineering education lives on as the Department of Science and Technology-Science Education Institute (DOST-SEI) announced that 3, 219 senior high school students throughout the country passed this year’s scholarship examination.
In her budget message, the President said one of the priorities of her administration is education being the foundation of economic prosperity and individual liberty, social justice and self-worth.
“Education in particular is taking a frontseat in our budget this year. There is nothing more important to the Filipinos now but education.. The opportunity to have quality education is the way for the youth of today to be free from poverty and live a comfortable life,” she said.
DOST Secretary Estrella F. Alabastro said the government is keen in the production of science and engineering manpower to help propel the country’s economy through a steady supply of top-caliber scientists and engineers.
“Our scholarship program has brought forth top engineers and scientists known not only in the Philippines but around the world,” she said.
Dr. Ester B. Ogena, Director of DOST-SEI, said this year’s 3,219 qualifiers are higher than last year’s 2,876 passers. Ogena said the qualifiers would add up to the present 8,931 scholars presently enrolled under DOST’s scholarship.
“This is our contribution in the government’s thrust in creating a pool of engineers and scientists in the country. We entice our graduating students to venture into science and serve the country after the scholarship,” she said.
A total of 19, 503 graduating high school students took the scholarship exam last January throughout the country, higher than last year’s 17, 118 examinees.
Students who qualified should then take agricultural chemistry; biochemistry; biology; chemical engineering; chemistry; chemistry teaching; computer engineering; computer science; electrical
engineering; electronics and communications engineering; food technology; industrial engineering; information technology; materials engineering; mathematics; mathematics teaching; mechanical engineering; molecular biology and biotechnology; physics; physics teaching and statistics to enjoy the scholarship.
Ogena said students who would be availing of the scholarship would be enjoying tuition and other school fees payment; book allowance; PE or NSTP uniform allowance; free transportation for one economy-class round trip fare for those studying outside their home province; monthly living allowance; group health and accident insurance; and post-graduation clothing allowance.
She said that even during summer students who are required to take up subject in this period could get monthly living allowance during the period, tuition and other school fees and book allowance.
Ogena said that after graduation, scholars are bound to serve in the country, not necessarily in the government, with the corresponding years they have enjoyed the scholarship.
“There is a one-to-one correspondence with the number of years they have availed of the scholarship with the number of years they would be serving in the country as stated in their scholarship contract,” she said.
Ogena disclosed that after graduation, students could also avail of the scholarships that the agency is giving for those who opt to pursue graduate studies.
“The President has recognized the need for us to produce MS and PhD graduates which is the reason she is supporting this accelerated program that would create a pool of scientists for research and development,” she said.
Ogena said that to date, the DOST has produced 10, 000 graduates since its inception in 1994 with the enactment of RA 7687 or the Science and Technology Scholarship Program.
However, the SEI director said the department has been giving scholarships to students since 1959 or a year after the National Science Development Board, the precursor of the DOST, was created.
“We started with only 10 slots then. Then it grew to 150 to 270. When the law (RA 7687) was created, DOST was given the mandate to offer scholarship to a wider populace,” she said.
Building the human capacity is seen as a crucial factor in S&T innovation. The programs of SEI, together with those of the academe, form the base of a sustainable S&T innovation system adopted by the DOST.
