By FRANCK DICK ROSETE
Bulatlat.com
CAGAYAN DE ORO – Some students who received scholarships from the city government of Cagayan de Oro expressed dismay over the alleged delay in the release of allowances which they need to support their studies.
Neil Collins Velez, a student leader from Xavier University–Ateneo de Cagayan, is one of them. As he has been waiting for three months now, he asked to know the cause of the delay
“We also observed in the past few months that the LGU [local government unit] is not transparent about the problem,” Velez, a third-year secondary education student, told Bulatlat.
This school year, about 15,000 students from different schools here have been granted various types of scholarships, including financial assistance, by the local government, according to the City Scholarships Office (CSO).
Grantees from colleges and universities are entitled to monthly allowances for 10 months, which are processed quarterly. The amount varies depending on the students’ schools and location of residences, ranging from P1,000 to P3,500 per month.
Velez, who also sits as the Northern Mindanao coordinator for the youth group Kabataan Partylist, said that they use the stipend for their academic requirements and school projects, among others.
William Ace Aranez, a third-year applied mathematics student at the state-run University of Science and Technology of Southern Philippines, said that he has yet to receive his stipend since the start of the semester in August.
He tried to understand the delay, saying that this was discussed during the orientation and contract signing. “Delays typically occur at the beginning of a new term due to the renewal and finalization of the list of scholars for that semester.”
Velez likened the problem to “a delayed salary or bonus,” something that would give them headaches, as they supposedly use the money for payables and incoming fees.
Call for probe
These concerns have already been tackled during the previous regular sessions of the Cagayan de Oro City Council, with a legislator from the minority group requesting a committee meeting together with the involved offices to investigate the matter in aid of legislation.
Citing the records from the local finance office, City Councilor Imee Rose Moreno said that the local government allotted P320 million for the scholarship program this year, but only over P102 million has been disbursed so far.
“Until now, they [first year students] still have not received even a single peso from their allowances,” Moreno said during her special report in the city council on Oct. 21, stressing how important the allowances were as it could help students maintain their grants until they finish their studies.
The legislator also received information that there were former scholarship grantees who graduated last school year and who were unable to get their transcript of records (TOR) from their schools due to unsettled bills, keeping them unemployed.
Various factors
In a committee meeting held on Friday, Nov. 8, CSO Department Head Richel Petalcorin-Dahay said that the lengthy process is expected for first-year students as first-time recipients, with schools needing to submit a master list to confirm that these approved applicants are enrolled.
This is also the same for the upper years as she said that they also need the schools to provide a summary of average grades of the students for them to process the scholarship stipends.
Dahay said that there are various factors why some scholars’ allowances are not being processed right away, which include problems with the submission of grades and completion of their rendered services, among other issues in their contractual obligations.
However, a male fourth-year business administration student of Philippine Investment Management (PHINMA)-Cagayan de Oro College, who spoke to Bulatlat on condition of anonymity, said that this is allegedly the longest delay he experienced. Same with Aranez, he still has not received his allowance since the semester started in July despite seeing his name as one of the renewed scholars.
The business administration student stressed that the delay could affect students’ academic performance, especially those who do not have parents to rely on like him.
The top CSO official said the renewal for this semester is ongoing, but the allowances of the first batch of scholars who completed the requirements have already been in the City Finance Office scheduled for release.
Moreno told Bulatlat that she received information that the processing of these allowances has been hastened because of this concern.
Aside from the allowance, the student leader from Xavier University recounted his ordeal with delayed payment of his tuition last semester, forcing him to look for other sources to pay the downpayment.
“The students would really appreciate it even more if they will guarantee that the money from our own pockets, which was used to pay on behalf of the delay, will be reimbursed,” Velez said.
He hoped that the LGU’s scholarship program would be improved so that the tuition and allowances of the recipients would be settled on time. (JJE, RTS, DAA)
