Senator Sonny Angara on Friday, July 9 said he is planning to expand the scope of the measure that seeks to provide assistance to deserving Filipino students who wish to pursue higher education abroad.

Angara said he is looking at expanding the coverage of Senate Bill No. 961 or the proposed Pensionado Act, which he filed in 2019 to cover high school graduates.

The senator noted there are many Filipino students who are highly intelligent and skilled and who have the potential to pursue higher education in prestigious universities overseas.

But because of the high financial cost that studying overseas entails, many students are forced to shelve their plans and lose the opportunity.

“I had the good fortune of studying abroad through the support of my parents. But not everyone is as fortunate and this is how the Pensionado Act can help deserving students in fulfilling their aspirations,” Angara said.

Aside from the experience of being independent, he said there is so much knowledge that a young student can gain from studying overseas, especially in specialized fields of study such as those related to Math and Science.

“Once they have earned their degrees, these scholars can bring back home what they have learned and use these for our benefit in a form of knowledge transfer,” the lawmaker said.

The bill, he said, specifically mandates the government to provide support to outstanding college graduates who are employed and wish to pursue advanced studies in a foreign country.

The proposed “Pensionado Program” will be established under the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) where all fellowships, scholarships and training grants sponsored or extended by foreign governments, agencies and other bodies; local agencies and organizations, whether private or public, intended for advanced studies in international centers of advanced learning, scholarship and research will be pooled together.

The measure also provides for the selection of 24 fellows annually—three from each priority discipline or industry field of the eight (8) vital disciplines or areas of specialization identified by the CHED—in consultation with the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) as frontiers or new areas essential for pushing the economic and social development thrusts of the country.

Applicants who wish to apply for the fellowship program must be a Filipino citizen, gainfully employed, a college degree graduate with honors and who has demonstrated leadership and proven exceptional performance in his/her present job.

He or she must also be willing to undergo further training, and willing to sign a contract requiring him/her to return to his/her job in another capacity after training. The scholarship shall be offered for a period not exceeding three (3) years.

The bill also seeks to provide additional assistance to the grantees in the form of three years leave with pay, including allowances and other benefits, round-trip plane tickets and other expenses required for foreign travel, as well as budget for books, research allowance, health, travel and insurance fees.

“The cost can be shared by the foreign government, institution or organization and the national government. We shouldn’t see this as an additional expense but rather an investment on our youth,” Angara said.