Teenager's UP dream comes true, thanks to donors

Even as a kindergarten student, Cherry Holgado knew she had to go to the University of the Philippines for college. "Maski kinder pa siya, sinabi ko... Madalas napapalo ko siya dahil sabi ko, mangarap ka ng UP. Mangarap ka," Cherry's mother, Conchita, told Joseph Morong in an interview on GMA News TV's Balitanghali. Holgado worked hard and earned numerous academic medals, which are displayed in the living room in the rented space where she and her parents live. Holgado said all her hard work had paid off when she was accepted in the Sociology program at UP Diliman, where less than four thousand students out of over 60,000 hopefuls passed the University of the Philippines College Admission Test. However, with her father still looking for work and her mother still having difficulty due to an injury last year, it looked like Holgado's dream may not come true. For the first semester, Holgado would need P7,638.50 to pay tuition for her 18 unit load. The amount is already discounted according to UP's STFAP (Socialized Tuition and Financial Assistance Program), but Holgado still could not afford to pay.

"Sabi ko mamasukan na lang kami para libre sa bahay at sa pagkain. Kasama ko siya, kasi baka kung sa trabaho hikain ako, nandiyan siya," said Holgado's mother. "Hindi naman sa pinabayaan ako ni Lord, parang nakalimutan na kaya Niya ako? Alam ko sa sarili ko na deserving ako, bakit ako pa itong wala?" said Holgado. After learning of Holgado's predicament through a news report first aired by GMA News TV's "State of the Nation" Tuesday night, donors came forward to help. One who wishes to remain anonymous will pay for Cherry's four years in college. "Na solve po lahat ng parang tinik sa damdamin ko, na may pera na ako pang tution, para makapagtapos na ako. Ang kulang nalang pagsisikap. Kaya gagawin ko talaga lahat para mabawi yung mga perang ibinigay para maka enroll ako sa school," promised Holgado. Holgado is only one of many who are unable to enroll due to high tuition fees. Data from the Commission on Higher Education shows that in recent years, out of 1.2 million 4th year high school students, only half are able to go on to college. Because there is no centralized scholarship other than their STFAP program, UP is looking for other donors to help the students. "If we can convince the companies to donate for scholarships then they are able to offset their tax liabilities by 150 percent," said UP vice president for public affairs Prospero De Vera. Under the STFAP, only students in E1 and E2, the two lowest brackets do not pay for tuition. These students are 20 percent of UP's population. Those in bracket E2 receive P2,000 per month as stipend, but even UP has said that this is a small amount. Many of UP students are in brackets C and D, and receive 40 and 70 percent discounts on tuition, respectively. "Dapat i-review ng UP yung kanyang scholarship program. At hindi lang sa UP, kailangang i-review ng buong bansa, ng pamahalaan ang ating scholarship fund. Ang scholarship fund ng CHED, P5,000 a semester. Ang scholarship fund namin sa Congress is P10,000 per student per year. Paano ka naman magsu-survive bilang estudiyante? "Kapag nagpatuloy ang trend na ito, ang UP hindi na lang siya magiging pamantasan ng mga mahihirap, matatalino. Pamantasan na lang ito ng mga mayayaman na matalino," said Kabataan party-list representative Mong Palatino in an earlier report. — Carmela Lapeña/RSJ, GMA News