110 Pantawid Pamilya students (in all levels) were officially enrolled during the launching of early enrolment recently held at the Sudipen Vocational High School, La Union. They were enrolled free of charge sponsored by the Department of Education (DepED) Voucher Program and the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) educational cash grant.  Actual enrolment starts from 16 to 20 May 2016.

The DepED Voucher Program is intended for Grade 10 (Junior High School) completers who wish to pursue Senior High School (SHS) education in non-DepED Schools such as Private High Schools, Colleges, and Universities, Local Universities and Colleges, State Universities and Colleges, and Technical and Vocational Schools, starting school year 2016-2017.

Voucher recipients from public/DepED Junior High Schools (JHS) who will enroll in non-DepED SHS will receive a full voucher amounting to PhP17,500.00. Voucher recipients from private JHS will receive PhP14,000.00 while those enrolling in State Universities and Colleges, regardless if they completed JHS in a public or private school, will receive PhP8,750.00. Cash is not directly given to students, the subsidy is remitted to the school, instead.

Meanwhile, DSWD’s Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program provides educational cash grants to the beneficiaries in the amount of PhP500.00 for High School and  Php300.00 for Elementary. Only three beneficiaries per poor household are entitled.

This early enrolment was conducted to generally record the correct school and grade level of children-beneficiaries for more efficient tracking of education compliance leading to an accurate computation of cash grant due to a concerned household.  Also, the activity aids DepED in updating school records in a timely manner.

Ms. Arlem Kenneth Areola, Pantawid Pamilya Institutional Partnership and Development Officer, encouraged all the parents to patiently guide their children in their pursuit of education leading them to a wider range of opportunities in the near future.

There are 392,332 Pantawid Pamilya student-beneficiaries monitored regionwide who are eligible for educational cash grants as of February to March 2016.  (by: Jaesem Ryan A. Gaces, Information Officer II/ Pantawid Pamilya)