Grantees defend solon’s Baguio education program

BAGUIO CITY -- Past and present grantees of the Rep. Mauricio G. Domogan Educational Financial Assistance Program defended the program being offered by the congressman to poor but deserving students in Baguio, saying poor but deserving students have been given the chance acquire a decent education.

In behalf of the over 1,000 grantees of the program, Agripina “Grapes” L Arboleda, a summa cum laude graduate of Saint Louis University and now a teacher at the institution, lauded Domogan for coming up with the worthy educational financial assistance program.

The MGD-EFAP was envisioned so the present generation would not suffer the same “sweet torture” that Domogan encountered during his student days due to poverty.

“Naranasan niyang tahakin ang mga bundok sa kanilang lugar na nakapaa lamang para makapag-aral. Ito ang pangyayari na ayaw niyang maranasan ng kabataan ngayon kaya’t pilit niyang binuo ang programa na tutulong upang matugunan ng mga mag-aaral ang kanilang mga pangangailangan,” Arboleda said.

She added one of the greatest pieces of wisdom she will share to her students would be the importance of education in one’s life, citing that Domogan is a living testimony that education is indeed a key to success and that he is a leader who is leading by example.

Arboleda said under the program, grantees received P6,000 per semester but the amount was a big help to grantees.

The program is capable of financing full scholarship for students considering that P11 million from the PDAF of Domogan is allotted to the program but that would mean 70-80 percent decrease in the number of MGD-EFAP grantees.

Domogan said he wanted to cater to a greater population so that he could reach out to many and not just a few -- a clear manifestation that he is answering to the call that education is for all and not even poverty should be a hindrance to their right to be educated.

The new teacher said the program is all about accommodating students who are financially incapable of sending themselves to school.

Christina San Andres, a Bachelor of Science major in Economics cum laude who enjoyed the assistance for four years, explained that they were appreciative of the efforts of politicians like Domogan who conceptualized and implemented the educational assistance program for the benefit of poor but deserving students in urban areas like Baguio. – Dexter A. See