From the Kauban Ta Uy News Desk:
By Bencyrus Ellorin
The City Budget Office has already obligated P290 million of the P320 million budget for the city scholarship program. “Never have we failed to pay partner schools and the scholars based on obligated funds,” City Budget Office Roxanne Mae Absin-Ravidas told the Daba committee.
The Kauban Ta Uy movement bewails the opposition's efforts to tarnish the stellar City Scholarship program's image through baseless allegations of delayed allowance releases to scholars and tuition payments to partner colleges and universities.
It is unfortunate that in efforts to portray Mayor Klarex Uy as mismanaging the city government and emptying its coffers, opposition Councilor Imee Moreno resorted to accusations she could not back up with complaints from real people, thus making all the fuss in her Oct. 28 privilege speech before the City Council hearsay.
We laud Councilor Suzette Magtajas-Daba for probing the issue with the Committee of Education. It was in the Daba committee hearing last Nov. 8, 2024 that Moreno was exposed as making baseless allegations. Even opposition councilor Aga Suan praised the city’s scholarship program after hearing the presentations of the City Scholarship Office and members of the Local Finance Committee.
Moreno’s relentless refusal to disclose the scholars and partner colleges who complained purportedly “to protect them” is not tenable. It is an act of using the scholars and partner institutions of the scholarship program for cheap political black propaganda.
Richel Petalcurin-Dahay, manager of the City Scholarship Office told the Daba committee that if the opposition councilor was intent on helping the scholars and partner schools, the best move was to refer them to their office.
“If her position is to help and protect the scholars and our partners, she should have referred them to the Scholarship Office as we are in a position to help them,” Dahay told the Education Committee attended by Moreno, councilors Jay Roa Pascual and Aga Suan.
Dahay further explained that the Scholarship Code of 2018 provides procedures for the disbursement of allowances and payments to partner schools.
She explained that partner schools are paid after submitting a billing statement to the city government, certificates of enrolment of all scholars, and grades of all scholars.
Allowances are released to the scholars after they submit complete grades from the previous semester and certification that they have complied with the required five volunteer or formation activities per semester.
For the school year 2024 -25, the city government has over 10,000 college scholars; and 500 technical-vocational scholars. The City Social Welfare and Development (CSWD) on the other hand provides educational assistance to 1,500 college students.
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