SCHOLARSHIP FUND, SOURCE OF CORRUPTION

THERE were 25 dummy scholars, 31 flying scholars and 190 scholars with incomplete grades so far discovered from among some 2,500 scholars registered by the past city administration for the city’s scholarship program.

This was confirmed by Mayor Belen Fernandez during her meeting with the members of the new Dagupan City Scholarship Committee last Oct 14 to approve the Implementing Rules and Regulations of City Ordinance No. 2246-2022, – “An ordinance adopting a Comprehensive City Scholarship and Educational Assistance Program for Dagupan.”

Fernandez said the 245 scholars does not include other scholars who could not be located because the past city scholarship committee only turned over the list of scholars with no addresses and cellphone numbers nor the colleges or universities where they were enrolled.

Fernandez cited one student had just graduated from senior high school but whose name was already included in the list of current scholars, and, therefore not qualified as a scholar.

The student wondered who used his name in order to collect the money due a scholar since he was never informed of it.

“I don’t want this situation to happen again,” Fernandez said as she revealed that 92 scholars, out of 190 scholars with incomplete grades who attended the meeting she called .

Fernandez said the 2,178 to date new scholars that complied fully with basic requirements went through a pre-qualification process with the help of Barangay Captains as she stressed that under her watch no money of the city will be spent for dummy, ghost or flying scholars, and scholars with failing or incomplete grades.

She said the barangay captains only issue certificates of residency as well as indigency only after applicants have submitted accomplished application forms, photocopies of their school registration and school identification cards.

The mayor also clarified that scholars must enroll only in any of the colleges and universities in Dagupan, and not in any college outside the city.

Meanwhile, the 2,780 students that were pre-qualified still have to pass a screening process to be done by the committee she created.

Commenting on the scholarship program’s budget, Fernandez said only P57 million out of P102 million allotted by the past city administration for scholarship remain.

Members of the committee under the Brian Lim administrations were Lenny de Venecia, James Arzadon, Leila Natividad, Linda Ventenilla. All four have yet to be made to account for the. discovered anomalies.

The mayor said in order to meet the program’s objective to provide P40,000 a year to 4,000 to 5,000 scholars, another P100 million is needed in the form of supplemental budget from the Sangguniang Panlungsod (SP).

The request, however, remains pending before the SP committee on appropriations and finance headed by Councilor Redford Erfe-Mejia.

Meanwhile, during the meeting of members of the scholarship committee attended by officials of colleges and universities of Dagupan, it was suggested that the checks covering tuition and miscellaneous fees of scholars be directly remitted to the colleges. (Leonardo Micua)

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