Let’s run to help an Iskolar ng Bayan

Jenny* comes from a middle class family. She is the second of three children. Her father is an accountant and her mother is a housewife. Like most middle class families, a good education is the only thing that Jenny’s parents could bequeath to them. Fulfilling her parents’ dream for her and her siblings, Jenny studied hard and was able to pass the much-feared University of the Philippines – College Admission Test (UPCAT). Jenny’s life seems to be so blessed until her father was laid off from his job. Because of his age, Jenny’s father found it difficult to find another company that is willing to hire him. The family tried to make do with the little savings set aside by Jenny’s mother out of her father’s income. Jenny’s father bought a second hand van and offered it for rent, but the income from such an irregular job was not enough and prices of gasoline, repairs and spare parts were too much. The family contemplated on letting the children stop schooling. UP may be the cheapest among higher education institutions providing quality education, but P1,000 per unit or an average of P20,000 per semester is still way beyond the means of Jenny’s family. Jenny applied for scholarships and luckily, the UP College of Business Administration approved her application for the Longterm Educational Assistance Program. The scholarship grant is a guarantee that Jenny would be able to finish her five-year course of Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and Accountancy. The Longterm Educational Assistance Program is a continuing project of the UP Junior Philippine Institute of Accountants and is being administered by the UP College of Business Administration. Through the program, several UP-CBA students were able to graduate with honors, as the scholarship allowed them to focus on their studies. The scholarship program is unique because its funds do not come from grants from corporations nor from philanthropists. It comes from the students themselves. Every year, UPJPIA members come together to organize a fun run to raise funds for the scholarship program.

The run called Tiktakbo is the product of the hard work of UP-CBA students who volunteer their time and effort in order to help a fellow Iskolar ng Bayan. Organizing a run is no easy task that is why professional run organizers charge expensive fees for organizing one. It takes months of preparations and the costs are not cheap. Aside from professional fees, one has to pay for the salaries of marshals and other staff, equipment rentals, among others. But in Tiktakbo, UP JPIA members would be doing it all with no reward but the thought of being able to help a fellow UP student. That is why when one joins Tiktakbo, he or she is not only living a healthy lifestyle, he or she would also be supporting the education of a deserving student and encouraging students to contribute their share in helping others. As such, this gives a deeper meaning to being a iskolar ng Bayan. This year, the fourth edition of the run called Tiktakbo 4 wiill be held on September 4, Sunday 5 a.m. at the UP Diliman campus. Categories and the respective registration fees are: 15 km. run - P500 5 km run - P400 5km buddy run - P690 2km run for children ages 7-12 years old - P300 500 meter dash for kids 6 yrs and below - P200 Gift certificates and token cash prizes await the winners of the different categories. The kid with the best costume would also win a prize. Tiktakbo 4 is an opportunity for all to run for one’s health, for a deserving student’s education and to support a worthy and meaningful endeavor of students for students. Register now at the following venues: 1) Olympic Village Branches at Trinoma,Gateway, Galleria, SM Megamall, Market!Market!,& Alabang Town Center. 2.) Second Wind-Maginhawa Branch 3.) UP JPIA Tambayan, 4th floor, CBA Bldg, UP Diliman Campus *the scholar's name has been changed to protect her privacy.