6 agrarian scholars in EV earn college degrees

By Philippine Information Agency (PIA 8)
June 22, 2013

TACLOBAN CITY – Six more recipients of the Programang Agraryo Iskolar (PAI) in Region-8 joined thousands other graduates who completed college education this school year.

Department of Agrarian Reform Region 8 Director Eliasem Castillo said that three of the scholars graduated from the Eastern Samar State University (ESSU) main campus while the remaining three from the Visayas State University (VSU) Tolosa, Leyte Campus; Southern Leyte State University (SLSU) Tomas Oppus campus and Naval State University (NSU) in Naval, Biliran.

The three graduates from ESSU in Borongan City all took up a degree in Engineering.

Grace Lumaghos and Christian Jay Lopido finished Civil Engineering, while Andrie Caspe completed a course in Electrical Engineering.

Meanwhile Gabriel Abad, Alma Labastida and Aigy Rose completed BS Fisheries (VSU), BS in Information Technology (SLSU) and BS Education (NSU), respectively.

All six graduates are dependents of agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) which made them qualified to avail of the PAI offered by the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) as among the numerous support services extended under the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP).

According to Director Castillo, in Eastern Visayas, there were 108 recipients of the scholarship program who have earned college degrees as of April of this year.

DAR started offering this scholarship program to deserving children of ARBs during the school year 2003-2004.

Since then, 2,494 recipients have already graduated from various courses throughout the country as of 2012.

Director Castillo added that many of them have landed better paying jobs in the region and in Metro Manila.

Castillo further disclosed that in 2009, Mr. Omar Jayag, one of the PAI recipients in the Region, placed 5th in the Agricultural Engineering Board exam.