The ESGP-PA aims to “contribute to the National Government’s thrusts in effectively addressing poverty alleviation by increasing the number of graduates in higher education among poor households and to get these graduates employed in high-value added occupations in order to lift their families out of poverty and contribute to national development,” according to Joint Memorandum Circular No. 2014-1 dated 3 February 2014. Under this program, a student-grantee shall be entitled to a maximum of Sixty Thousand Pesos (Php60,000.00) as grant per academic year or Thirty Thousand Pesos (Php30,000.00) per semester. The grant is intended to cover the costs for tuition and other school fees, academic and extracurricular expenses, purchase of text books, board and lodging, transportation, clothing, admission/entrance fees, health and other valid related education expenses and support services to complete the student-grantee’s degree program.
According to the Coordinator of Scholarship and Assistantship, Mrs. Jocelyn With finishing touches and minor works almost completed, the ESSU Main Library will soon have a new second floor extension which will become the Audio Visual Room that can also double as a convention hall. The venue can comfortable sit at least 200 persons. The said construction was financed from the General Appropriation Act # 10352 amounting to Seven Million Seven Hundred Thousand Pesos (Php7,700,00.00) granted in 2013, the Finance Management Officer, Mrs. Evelyn T. Obina, revealed. With the University’s plan to hold the First International Conference on Climate Change come September 3-5, 2014, the University President, Dr. Edmundo A. Campoto ordered the Physical Plant Office to fast-track the completion of the painting and beautification of the surrounding area during the Executive Meeting he called recently. The construction of the Main Library was done on a staggered bases owing to the very big budget requirement for its completion. In 1998 through the Congressional Development Fund of Congressman Rolando Andaya amounting to Php5,232,000.00 the first floor was started. Two years after in 2000 another One Million Peso budget was released through the GAA #8760 and in 2005-2006 President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo through her President’s Social Fund released another One Million Pesos. The accumulated funds completed half of the whole ground floor that now houses the reference and periodical sections, the library office and the Graduate and Law Library Sections. In 2008, Congressman Teudulo M. Coquilla allocated Php5,988,000.00 of his Priority Development Assistance Fund to start up the construction of the portion of the second floor. It is now where the Filipiniana Section and the Audio-Visual Room are situated. All in all from 1998 to 2013, the Main Library received a total amount of Php20,920,000.00. Second Floor of Main Library nears completion C. Mendoza, her office was provided by the DSWD with the list of qualified student-beneficiaries numbering Three Hundred Thirty Three (333). Since some of them were already enrolled before the list was furnished they have to revoke their previous enrolment as the program they enrolled in did not fall within the CHED’s Priority Courses and other offerings aligned with the government key growth areas. This was true for students who initially enrolled in the Hotel, Resort and Restaurant Management (HRRM) program were made to enrol in the BS Tourism program instead. The latter being in the list of priority courses.
The regional allocation of student-beneficiaries was proportionately distributed using the actual count of total potential student-grantees of DSWD and after which the distribution of allocation per SUC will be computed using the following parameters: 70% for availability of CHED Priority Courses and 30% Programs should be at least Level 1 Accredited. ESSU easily qualified in the second parameter.
The scholarship program commenced this School Year 2014-2015. In the list given by Mrs. Mendoza the 333 students endorsed by DSWD is broken down as follows: Maydolong Campus – 32; Can-avid Campus – 38; Guiuan Campus – 12; Salcedo Campus – 89; and Main Campus.
