TPEF Searches for Scholars in Remote Communities

From the farthest towns of Oriental Mindoro and Catanduanes, the TPEF searches for college scholars for school year 2018. In cooperation with the partner public schools, San Roque National High School in Bulalacao and Leandro I. Verceles Sr. NHS in Pandan, it held the scholarship examination and interview on September 23 and October 14. Some students from other public schools in the two areas also took the exam. Bulalacao, located at the southernmost tip of Oriental Mindoro, is the poorest among 15 towns of Oriental Mindoro. Pandan municipality lies on the northern tip of Catanduanes province. It is also the poorest of the 11 towns.

In search for scholars in a public school located in Tabugoc, a remote community in Pandan, Catanduanes.

The TPEF is the first education foundation that went to their school to search for scholars. The teachers from San Roque NHS and Leandro I. Verceles NHS were very grateful that TPEF will provide a college education opportunity for selected students who will be awarded the scholarship. Almost all the Grade 12 student-applicants that were interviewed said that their families could not afford to buy enough food and other basic needs. Some attend school with no allowance at all. They walk for at least thirty minutes to an hour to go to school. Those with allowance spend their meager money, ranging from 10 to 30 pesos, for jeepney or tricycle fare. Some bring food, usually, rice and vegetable, for lunch, while others have rice and buy a five or ten-peso vegetable viand. A few skip breakfast before going to school due to lack of food in their house.

A Grade 12 learner who passed the scholarship examination tells his story during the interview.

TPEF hopes that the life stories of these students who will be awarded a college scholarship will improve, as they will now have the opportunity to change their circumstances by getting a college degree and be employed in the future. Aided by the trainings in TPEF’s yearly summits and other learning avenues, they are hoped to become better individuals and more responsible member of their families and communities.