• CHERYL G. CRUZ
Persons with disabilities (PWDs) and children of solo parents in Bacolod can avail of scholarship from the city government soon.
The Sangguniang Panlungsod has already approved on second reading the proposed PWD and Children of Solo Parents Scholarship Program Ordinance of Bacolod, authored by Councilor Caesar Distrito.
Distrito, chairperson of the SP Committee on PWD Affairs, and of the Committee on Human Resource and Development, said that many PWDs and children of solo parents in Bacolod “face socio-economic barriers that limit their educational opportunities”.
Providing them with financial and institutional support, through a local scholarship program, will help alleviate poverty, promote inclusion, and empower these sectors, he added.
The scholarship program can help ensure that PWDs and kids of solo parents are not left behind in educational opportunities, the proposed ordinance, co-authored by councilors Em Ang, Celia Matea Flor, and Dindo Ramos, stressed.
They noted that it is the policy of the city government of Bacolod to promote equal access to education for all, consistent with the constitutional mandate of protecting and promoting the right to education, and to recognize the special circumstances of persons, and solo parents and their children.
The scholarship program aims to provide educational opportunities to qualified PWDs and their kids, as well as the children of solo parents; alleviate the financial burden of education for the families of these special sectors; encourage academic excellence, self-reliance, and empowerment among beneficiaries; and promote inclusive development and equal opportunity in education.
The program shall be open to PWDs or their children, who must be bona fide resident of Bacolod for at least five years, with the parent/s incapable or have no means to earn an income.
The child of solo parents duly recognized under Republic Act 8972, or the Solo Parents Welfare Act, should also be bona fide residents of Bacolod for at least five years; the parent must be a minimum wage earner with an annual income of P180,000 or is unemployed; the applicant must be enrolled in a duly-recognized secondary, tertiary, vocational/technical institution, has a general average of at least 80 percent with no failing grades the previous semester, and not a recipient of any other full government scholarship grant.
Each qualified scholar shall be entitled to financial assistance for tuition, books, transportation, and other educational expenses, with the specific amount to be determined annually by the SP, upon the recommendation of the City Mayor and the City Budget Office, the proposed ordinance states. | CGC
