The administration of Gov. Adolph Edward Plaza offers nursing and medicine scholarships to poor but deserving students in the province. The idea was hatched to address the migration of medical practitioners in the province to other countries in search for better opportunities abroad and to realize President Arroyo’s flagship program on job generation.

SP Santiago Cane, Jr, author of the resolution Scholarship Program for Medicine Proper and BS Nursing Courses for Qualified Residents of Agusan del Sur that enacts the scholarship program, said that some nurses and doctors in the five hospitals subsidized by the provincial government are now seeking greener pastures abroad. He added that if the government will not act on situation immediately it is more likely that the delivery of health services in the province will be ineffective due to lack of personnel.

“To convince our own aspiring nurses and doctors in the province to work with us for a longer period of time, we have to invest on them thru scholarship program,” he said.

SP Cane Jr. earlier announced that there is a scheduled screening of applicants on April 28, at the new SP Session Hall, Government Center, Patin-ay, Prosperidad and he is encouraging qualified students to apply in order to avail of the program.

He added that applicants are required to bring with them a letter of intent addressed to Gov. Eddiebong Plaza, bio-data with 2×2 ID picture, photocopy of the report card for nursing or a photocopy of transcript of records for medicine proper applicants, with at least 85% general average, certificate of good moral character from the previous school, a copy of the income tax return of parents not more than P90,000 for nursing and P150,000 for medicine proper, a barangay certificate where the applicant reside, with age not more than 18 years old for nursing and 24 years old for medicine proper applicants.

“Qualified students for nursing can enroll only in any accredited school in Mindanao while medicine proper students can enroll in any accredited schools in the country,” said Cane Jr.

He further explained that the benefits of the scholarship program involve monthly cash allowance worth 2,000 pesos, book allowance worth 12,000 per semester for nursing and 15,000 pesos per semester for medicine proper. He added that the program will also shoulder all expenses such as entrance examination fees, laboratory and tuition fees.

SP Cane added that when the scholars embark on a review after graduation to any accredited center in the country, a cash assistance of 10,000 pesos will be given to them for the whole duration of the review.

“Once the scholars pass the board examination, they are obliged to practice their profession in the province for eight years. However, the provincial government reserves the right whether to hire or not the scholars under the program in cases where the scholars are not hired, then the mandatory service of eight years is deemed waived,” Cane said.

SP Cane also explained that after the screening committee admitted qualified students, after said students passing the admission exams of the school they wish to enroll, a memorandum of undertaking will be forged between the representatives of the provincial government and the scholars. He added that the maximum number of applicants to be admitted under the program is four for each course but emphasized that it is the prerogative of the committee members if they admit only one for each scholarship.

Under the program, scholars are mandated to finish their course within the prescribed term, otherwise they will refund in full all expenses made by the provincial government.

“Although there are circumstances that are inevitable which force the scholar to stop schooling, they must have valid reasons to justify why they quit in order for them not to pay back the government’s expenses. (PIA)

This entry was posted by Taman Siswa on Tuesday, April 18, 2006 at 10:36 pm and is filed under Scholarship. Tags: Adolph Edward Plaza, Agusan del Sur, Arroyoâ, Cane Jr., Eddiebong Plaza, Government Center, health services, Peso, provincial government, Santiago Cane, Scholarship, SP Session Hall, Student, . You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.