Entrepreneurial Farmer

Ambrosio R. Villorente

GSIS/STI Scholarship

The Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) has instituted a college scholarship grants with STI college to all qualified dependents of all members, pensioners, and survivors of the GSIS. The scholarship is partial as it only provides 20 percent of tuition fee for incoming freshmen students.

This 20 percent partial scholarship grant is good for students whose intention is to take up and finish a degree which STI offers.

This scholarship will also be beneficial to STI nationwide as students who are relatives of GSIS members, pensioners, and survivors up to the 6th degree will be encouraged to study at STI. Students under this partial scholarship program will only pay 80 percent of the tuition fee while GSIS pays the other 20 percent.

A student under the GSIS/STI scholarship, for every P10,000 tuition fee per semester, he only pays P8,000. The GSIS pays the P2,000.00.

Discriminating

Why at STI? This is discriminating. Others who are equally qualified for the 20 percent GSIS scholarship cannot enjoy the benefits. Moreover, other colleges which are equally if not highly qualified than the STI to provide quality education are deprived from providing the educational services because of GSIS scholarship.

To be fair to all children and relatives up to the 6th degree of the GSIS members, pensioners, and survivors, the GSIS must as well grant 20 percent scholarship to sons, daughters, and relatives of GSIS members, pensioners, and survivors studying in other colleges. This will promote fairness, justice, and equality. It will prevent favoritism and discrimination. 

What are the factors that led the GSIS management to provide 20 percent partial scholarship to STI students?

Why does the GSIS not offer the same benefits to students who are studying at state colleges and universities and other recognized educational institutions?

The GSIS could provide incentives to sons, daughters and relatives of GSIS members, pensioners, and survivors who are pursuing courses highly needed by the Philippines to hasten economic development and progress, vocational courses that will promote food production and industries. 

Employment Mismatch

According to Sen. Chiz Escudero, the government needs to institute a redirection of skills development program for college students to address unemployment.

Data from CHED and DOLE show that more than 700,000 graduates had joined the labor market on top of some 564,000 college graduates who are still jobless. 

There exists a mismatch between the Philippine labor market and the country’s graduates because “firms demand more experienced workers for existing vacancies. /MP