Lopez-led First Philippine Industrial Park (FPIP) and FIRST Industrial Science and Technology College Inc. (FIRST College) have opened a P1-million educational fund for the benefit of poor yet bright students from their two host cities in Batangas province.
SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM FOR DESERVING STUDENTS -- FPIP President Francis Giles B. Puno (second from left) and FIRST College President Joaquin E. Quintos IV (third from left) signed the agreement to fund a scholarship program as a way of helping indigent but intelligent students from Tanauan City and Santo Tomas City in Batangas. Witnessing the event are Karmela Marie C. Sarmiento (extreme left), FIRST College chief business development officer; and Ricky Carandang, FPIP vice president.
FPIP President Francis Giles B. Puno and FIRST College President Joaquin E. Quintos IV signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) recently to implement a holistic educational grant for eligible students.
The program is open to all incoming Grades 11 and 12 students who are currently enrolled in FIRST College and residing either in Tanauan City or Santo Tomas City in Batangas.
Qualified scholars will each enjoy a financial grant of P74,500 per year for tuition and matriculation fees, including P4,200 in monthly stipend and internet allowance. The scholarship fund, a pilot program for FPIP, will accept an initial batch of 13 indigent scholars.
As recipients under this holistic scholarship program, the eligible scholars will receive close guidance from, as well as “kumustahan” and counseling sessions with, FPIP and FIRST College. These interactions will help FPIP and FIRST College track the progress of the scholars and ensure their academic and personal development.
First Philippine Holdings Corporation (FPH), a diversified conglomerate controlled by the Lopez family, established FPIP in 1996 with Sumitomo Corporation of Japan to create a world-class economic zone for global manufacturers and traders, as well as a platform for employing ordinary Filipinos and for generating government revenues.
The 520-hectare ecozone, straddling Santo Tomas and Tanauan in Batangas, now provides employment for almost 80,000 Filipinos, aside from generating hundreds of millions of pesos in tax revenues for the host LGUs.
FPH subsequently established FIRST College in 2018 with a vision to create a school that will deliver real-world, relevant, up-to-date, practical, technical training.
Located right inside FPIP, FIRST College offers a unique curriculum and academic approach in close collaboration with industry partners, many of whom are FPIP locators themselves. This close collaboration allows students to gain extensive hands-on learning experience with industry professionals as their mentors.
FPIP is a proud and consistent partner to its host communities in providing jobs and programs to link educational gaps for its network schools in Batangas.