Ilocos Norte triples its scholarships grantees

LAOAG CITY, Ilocos Norte — To provide quality education for Ilocanos, the provincial government of Ilocos Norte headed by Gov. Imee Marcos gave a total of 1,919 scholarships grants last year.

In academic year 2014-2015, there were 459 recipients of the Sirib Academic Scholarship, according to the Provincial Education Office.

In the following school year, the number tripled with a total of 1,460 students benefiting from the Sirib Academic Scholarship, also known as the Sirib Community Leaders Scholarship.

Scholarship programs paved the way for training youth leaders, particularly through involvement in the Sirib Ilokano Kabataan Association (SIKA) that promotes volunteerism among youth through working together for the development of their respective communities.

Since 2010, the Ilocos Norte government has shouldered over 39,000 elementary, 16,000 high school, and 3,000 college scholarships.

Widening opportunities for learning has been an aim of Marcos, reflected in her vision for Ilocos Norte as a learning hub and learning community, hence the establishment of the “Heroes Walk” on Ablan Avenue to educate passersby on Ilocano heroes’ heritage.

Access to information technology is also a vital part of this goal, and in the past year alone, 38 i-Hubs have been established and 650 computer units have been distributed throughout the different cities and municipalities.

Making education more inclusive is in line with the province’s aim to alleviate poverty and eliminate unemployment, translating into a higher human development index and sustainable livelihood for Ilocanos.

These endeavors propelled the province in attaining the Millennium Development Goals, a United Nations initiative established in the year 2000.

“We have done what we set out to do, exceeding poverty, employment, education, maternal health, and reforestation. From the alarming increase in poverty in 2010, poverty has now fallen to a record of 8.4%,” she said. – Freddie G. Lazaro