Graduating students from public schools and universities in Antipolo City are encouraged to give their best efforts to become the top of their class this school year.

The city government of Antipolo is offering scholarship incentives to deserving learners who have proven their excellence by being included among the top awardees in their respective public educational institutions.

City Mayor Casimiro "Junjun" Ynares III said the city government has been giving scholarship grants to poor but deserving elementary to college students.

Top five learners who belong to the graduating class of School Year 2025-2026 may receive cash or scholarship incentives up to their college education, depending on their educational achievements.

Each year, the city government, through the recommendation of the respective School Parents-Teachers Associations, gives scholarships to top five educational excellence awardees from the graduating class of each public elementary, high school and college institutions in the city.

The academic achiever who got the highest average grade from among the top five performers from each of the schools, receives the Natatanging Mag-aaral Award that gives cash and other forms of scholarship incentives, which he or she can use until they reach college and even post graduate studies.

To entice the students to give their best this year, the city government has been posting on its social media pages, inspiring stories of students who received a total of ₱220,000 scholarship grants —₱60,000 for Senior High School (₱10,000 per year) and ₱160,000 for four years of college (₱40,000 per year).

Mayor Ynares said the support does not end there as additional financial assistance awaits the recipient of the scholarship for his licensure examination, as well as another scholarship grant should he or she chooses to pursue a master’s degree or PhD after college.

The mayor said, students are encouraged to draw inspiration from the past scholarship grantees from elementary school: Samuel B. Ramos from Jesus S. Cabarrus Elementary School, Marian San Jose from Canumay Elementary School, and Eliza Ong from Sta. Cruz Elementary School.

Ramos, in a bid to help his parents and ensure he had money for school, began selling puto (rice cakes), fish, and talbos ng kamote (sweet potato leaves) at a young age. Under the scorching heat of the streets, Samuel endured exhaustion and discomfort, carrying not only goods to sell but also the responsibility he felt toward his family and his dream of becoming an engineer someday.

Samuel is the second of four children of  a construction worker and a full-time housewife.

From an early age, he became aware of the harsh realities of life. His father’s income was often insufficient to meet the daily needs of their family, forcing them to move frequently in search of shelter. With no permanent home or land to call their own, the family currently lives with relatives.

Ynares said despite the challenges, Samuel remained focused on his education as he consistently ranked among the top students in his class and actively participated in academic competitions.

San Jose, on the other hand, was also chosen for her school achievements and perseverance to do more for herself and family.

She comes from a family that survives on a modest monthly income of approximately ₱4,000, earned through her father’s work as an on-call construction laborer and her mother’s livelihood from grass cutting.

Their home, made of stone and bamboo, reflects the difficult circumstances the family faces daily. Despite their combined efforts, the family often struggles to meet basic needs, including food and school expenses for the children.

Even if there were many days when Marian attended school without any allowance, she endured hunger in silence for the sake of her education. She remained focused on her studies and consistently achieved high academic marks, becoming a regular achiever in her class.

For Ong from Sta. Cruz Elementary School, the challenges she continues to endure for the sake of her dream of becoming a school teacher someday are no match for her strong determination to succeed.

Eliza is the eldest of four siblings.  Her family lives in a small home made of patched galvanized iron sheets on a mountainside in Upper Mapayapa, Barangay de la Paz.

At a very young age, she experienced a life-altering tragedy when her father passed away while she was only two years old. Since then, her stepfather has taken on the responsibility of providing for the family, working as a hardware store helper to support Eliza, her siblings, and her mother.

Despite their difficult living conditions, Ong remained deeply committed to her education, walking for more than an hour along a long, steep, and slippery path just to reach school.

After school, Eliza helps her mother care for her younger siblings and attends to household chores.

For her, the desire to become an educator someday to lift her family out of poverty is challenging but achievable when you put your heart and mind on it.