Energy firms pool P200-M science scholarship fund

Three energy firms and a foundation pooled nearly P200 million worth of scholarships—inclusive of tuition, stipend, book allowance, board and lodging—await 151 incoming college freshmen from the top five percent of the batch of high school graduates of the past school year.

The SuperFund for Science and Engineering is the collective effort of four institutional donors mobilized by the Philippine Development Foundation. Shell Philippines pitched in P100 million while the Malampaya Foundation added P50 million. PetroLift Inc., a domestic tinkering operation, added P1 million. The Energy Development Corp. pledged $10 million over the next 10 years or $1 million per year—P42 million to P43 million at current exchange rates.  

“We want to be as inclusive as possible, but the focus is on the graduating secondary education students,” said chair of SuperFund and PhilDev trustee Ed Chua.

 

“Let’s go to a point where let’s try to spur the interest of the best and brightest students to go into science and engineering courses,” Chua added.

 

Vicky Garchitorena, another PhilDev trustee, said the fund was established to present careers in science and engineering as options the top high school graduates can consider.

 

 “There is really no appreciation on sciences even from the parents,” said Vicky Gachitorena, also a PhilDev Trustee. 

 

Information technology expert Dr. Diosdado “Dado” Banatao said, “Higher education is sometimes an option… simply because of affordability and choices.”

Science education  

From the academic years 1994-1995 until 2010-2011, the number of Engineering, Information Technology and Natural Sciences comprised only 14.14 percent or 79,207 graduates annually. 

 

Most students choose courses in business and the health professions.

 

“I think it’s time that the Philippines get on with the global market competition in technology,” Banatao said. 

 

To qualify for a scholarship grant, the prospective SuperFund scholar must:

 

 

Incoming second year students with grade point average (GPA)) equivalent to B, without failing marks in any course may be considered

 

The PhilDev acknowledged that their launch was a tad late considering that the next school year is just a few weeks away. Organizers said by June of this year, the first batch of scholarship grantees will be announced to the public. — ELR, GMA News