by Susan Aro

LA TRINIDAD, Benguet- More students from the municipality of Kibungan are expected to qualify under the town’s college educational scholarship program with local officials amending an earlier ordinance that limits scholars to only poor and deserving residents who attended or graduated in schools within the area.

Municipal Ordinance 22 series of 2011 amends Municipal Ordinance Number 18 series of 2009 implemented first semester of school year calendar year 2010. This carried the provision that the student grantee, “must have attended and completed his/her elementary and high school or its equivalent educational programs in the municipality of Kibungan.”

Under Mun. Ordinance 22, the Sangguniang Bayan is amending said provision to “must have completed his/her Elementary and High School or its equivalent educational program in Benguet province.”

The councilors noted that some eligible residents were not able to avail of the program because they finished their high school in public schools outside Kibungan; there are no trade/industrial and agricultural high schools in Kibungan.

Most of the poor but deserving students who are candidates for the scholarship go to Balakbak in Kapangan and other secondary schools in adjacent towns. Such provision deprives some qualified grantees the chance to pursue their college education.

Said measure was forwarded to the Provincial Board for their appropriate action. * (JDP/SCA- PIA CAR,Benguet)