Out of 191 applicants from Cagayan Valley, 106 Cagayan Valley students will benefit from the Agricultural Competitiveness Enhancement Fund-Grants-in-Aid for Higher Education Program (ACEF-GIAHEP) of the Department of Agriculture (DA) this incoming school year 2020-2021.
The scholars will receive a yearly allowance increase from P 47,000 to P 60,000 based on the amended guidelines if enrolled in private institutions while students enrolled in State Universities and Colleges (SUCs) will receive P 40,000.
The monthly stipend will be increased from P 3,500 equivalent to P 35,000 for 1st and 2nd semesters, while the students will receive a book allowance of P2,500 per semester with a total of P40, 000.
The said scholarship will give students the opportunity to pursue higher education.
To get more applicants, the ACEF-GIAHEP has opened the application early and extended it due to the effect of Covid-19 that lasted on June 20, 2020, as stated in the official Facebook page of the program.
The total number of applicants has climbed to 2,819 for this year. Of this, 2,160 applicants were qualified to the DA’s grant-in-aid to fund agriculture, forestry, fisheries, veterinary medicine education, and related agricultural education programs in partnership with the Commission of Higher Education (CHED).
The committee had prioritized the applicants whose parents are small farmers and fishers, part of the underprivileged, homeless, and indigenous peoples.
In the Cagayan Valley Region, the following schools will facilitate the said scholarship program in collaboration with the DA Regional Field Office No. 2 Planning, Monitoring, and Evaluation Division (PMED).
The College and State Universities are as follows: Batanes State College (BSC) in Batanes, Cagayan State University (CSU) in Cagayan with is five (5) campuses, namely, Carig, Lallo, Piat, Aparri, and Sanchez Mira, in Isabela, the Isabela State University (ISU) with its five (5) campuses Cabagan, Jones, Echague, Roxas, and Cauayan, Nueva Vizcaya State University (NVSU) in Bayombong, and Quirino State University (QSU) in Diffun.
The National Secretariat for ACEP-GIAHEP under the office of DA Undersecretary for Special Concerns Waldo Carpio, will request the budget to the office of Agriculture Secretary William Dar for his approval.
The funding requirement shall likewise be requested from the Department of Budget and Management (DBM).
Furthermore, the DA will determine the allocation of slots and funding requirements for the ACEF-GIAHEP beneficiaries until completing the program.
(For more information, please contact Ms. Nieves Andres 844-1331/1328 Fax Nos. 844-1031 / (078) 396 1527 or like the official Facebook Page for future updates https://www.facebook.com/ACEFGIAHEP/)
