Bank to select 60 scholars from 60 ‘poor’ provinces

SIXTY students from provinces that are considered poor will be selected by the Land Bank of the Philippines (Landbank) for this year.

This is part of the government-owned bank’s Iskolar ng Landbank Program (ILP), which runs until 2028.

The bank said in a press statement that it will select 60 scholars from 60 poor provinces each year for its new scholarship program. They will be provided with P100,000 each per year to cover allowances, expenses for books, clothing and other course requirements.

Special cash incentives will also be awarded to scholars who graduate with honors. Landbank, however, did not state the names of the “poor” provinces.

It said that its program aims to assist deserving dependents of agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) and small farmers and fisheries nationwide.

The bank will select the scholars from nominations endorsed by the bank’s partner-organizations composed of farmers and fisherfolk.

“We want the Iskolar ng Landbank Program to create a meaningful impact on the lives of deserving students who really need assistance the most. We are now reaching out to our partner cooperatives, associations and organizations in the agri sector to nominate dependents from among their members,” Landbank president and chief executive officer Cecilia Cayosa Borromeo said in a press statement.

The ILP was launched in February and the selection process has now been updated to make it more inclusive, Landbank said.

Requirements

Eligible applicants shall be the children or grandchildren of ARBs or small farmers and fisherfolk who are graduating high school students, with a minimum average grade of 90 percent or belonging to the top 10 percent of their class.

Applicants must also have a letter of endorsement from their senior high school principal, must not enjoy any other financial assistance, grant, or scholarship from other external sources, must pass the admission requirements of partner state colleges and universities and whose annual total family income must not exceed P300,000.

Successful applicants have 12 eligible courses to choose from, namely horticulture, animal science, food technology, data analytics, information technology, accounting, agribusiness management, and agricultural, IT, industrial or management, civil and mechanical engineering.

ILP graduates will also be offered on-the-job training in Landbank branches and lending centers, including the bank’s partner agencies and institutions.

The program carries the theme: “600@60: Developing Scholars and Nurturing Talents Towards Serving the Nation,” representing the bank’s target of 600 scholar graduates, which includes graduates from the bank’s previous scholarship program in celebration of Landbank’s 60th anniversary this year.