“The best way to show our gratitude to all the love and sacrifices… is to make the most out of it. Make a better place for the generation that follows us,” testified Alejandro Balgua, Cum Laude (Tarlac College of Agriculture), batch valedictorian during his valedictory address.
Alejandro Balgua is one of the 59 served scholars in Region who marched in the very 1st Expanded Students Grant-in-Aid Program for Poverty Alleviation (ESGP-PA) Scholars Ceremonial Rites last May 5, 2016 at Walter Mart, City of San Fernando, Pampanga.
“But this month, we also would like to recognize not only the workers but the student laborers and their ever supportive parents who paid off our investment, pagkat ang kanilang iaalay na kaalaman, ay siya nating gagamitin sa patuloy pang pagpapaunlad ng bayan,” said Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Field Office (FO) III Regional Director Gemma B. Gabuya in her opening remarks.
59 ESGP-PA scholars, alongside with their parents and Municipal Links marched their way to the stage to receive a certificate of recognition for serving as a living proof—a success story that bears the effectivity of the ESGP-PA.
The government, along with DSWD believes the youths are potential responsible partners in nation-building. That it is our responsibility to ensure that they are provided with proper facilities where they can gain better knowledge and understanding of life and society. So that in return, the continuous growth and success of our nation is assured.
“Naniniwala ako na maibabalik ko ito sa pamamagitan ng pagiging produktibo, responsable, at epektibong mamayan (I believe that I can give back [the government’s investment] by being a productive, responsible, and effective citizen),” said Ronald Melocotones, Cum Laude (Tarlac College of Agriculture), batch salutatorian.
ESGP-PA started last June 2012, through the effort of Commission on Higher Education (CHED), Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), and DSWD, as Students Grants-in-Aid Program for Poverty Alleviation (SGP-PA) having 94 pilot slots at Central Luzon State University, in the province of Nueva Ecija for the year 2012-2016. But then by the virtue of JMC 2014-01, in the year 2014, additional 2,170 slots were made available, and it was then called as Expanded Students Grants-in-Aid Program for Poverty Alleviation (ESGP-PA) and also expanding its partnership with Department of Budget and Management (DBM) and the Philippine Association of State Universities and Colleges (PASUC), for the year 2014-2018.
The first batch of ESGP-PA grantees graduated last S.Y. 2015. Three (3) of them are already employed in DSWD FO III, the two are Social Welfare Assistants in the Province of Nueva Ecija (in Carranglan and Talugtug), and the other one is the Regional Information Officer of Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program.
“To our graduates, sana hindi po ito ang tuldok sa inyong paghahanap ng katagumpayan (To our graduates, I hope that this would not be the end of your search for success),” concluding statement of Ms. Tomasa Lirio, Regional Program Coordinator of Pantawid Pamilya.### (Andyleen C. Feje)
