Philippines
Metro Manila
Muntinlupa LGU offers scholarships, free school supplies to city's 110,000 students
Muntinlupa LGU offers scholarships, free school supplies to city's 110,000 students
Amid the rising cost of living, the Muntinlupa City government is supporting the education of more than 110,000 students through scholarships and free school supplies.
One of them is Jaspher Nherie Elviña, a beneficiary under the city government’s Muntinlupa Scholarship Program.
For him, it was never just about the allowance but staying in school.
Now a cum laude graduate of Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from Colegio de Muntinlupa, Jasper recalled being a city scholar.
“Nagsimula ako maging iskolar ng Muntinlupa… simula pa noong 1st year high school, noong nagkaroon ng scholarship program ang Muntinlupa o MSP. Ang allowance na nakukuha ko sa Muntinlupa ay malaki ang naitutulong para sa pandagdag baon at gastusin sa araw-araw na pagpasok at requirements sa iba’t ibang subject ko dati (I started being a Muntinlupa scholar… since my 1st year of high school, when the Muntinlupa or MSP scholarship program was established. The allowance I get from Muntinlupa is a great help for supplementing my pocket money and expenses for daily attendance and requirements for my various subjects),” he said.
The cost of education is not just about tuition fees. There are daily transportation expenses, project materials, printing fees, laboratory contributions, and the small but constant costs of staying enrolled.
Elviña said the allowance he received from the Muntinlupa City government was a symbol of reassurance that allowed him to focus on his studies instead of worrying about daily expenses.
He is one of the more than 110,000 scholars supported by the Muntinlupa City government in 2025, a scholarship system that started from about 5,000 beneficiaries during its early years.
Today, it has become one of the most expansive local government-funded education programs in Metro Manila.
In 2025, the city government spent P587.8 million in educational assistance or about seven percent of its P8.8-billion annual budget.
In proportional terms, officials said this placed Muntinlupa among the highest in the National Capital Region when it comes to allocating funds for scholarships, even compared with cities that operate on larger overall budgets.
The scholarship program started in 1989 when a scholarship trust fund was established to assist financially struggling students. At the time, only around 5,000 scholars were covered.
Under former mayor Jimmy Fresnedi, now Muntinlupa representative, the system was institutionalized and expanded across educational levels.
From a trust-based assistance program, it became a structured division under the Office of the Mayor—the Muntinlupa Scholarship Division—ensuring continuity beyond political terms.
By the end of his administration, the number of beneficiaries had grown to tens of thousands annually, embedding the program as a permanent feature of the city’s governance.
Under Mayor Ruffy Biazon, funding levels increased. Assistance amounts were raised. The application process was digitized to widen access and reduce long queues.
Incentives for Latin honor awardees and board topnotchers, already part of the system, were strengthened in value.
In 2025, more than 94,000 learners from elementary to senior high school received assistance. Over 12,000 college students were supported in public and private institutions, in addition to nearly 5,000 postgraduate scholars and learners with unique educational needs.
The city government’s education program has also expanded structurally.
The former Muntinlupa Polytechnic College was transformed and elevated into the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Muntinlupa (PLMun) to expand its court offerings.
Four years ago, the city established the PLMun–Ospital ng Muntinlupa College of Medicine — an initiative started during the Fresnedi administration and sustained under Biazon — with the first batch of medical students expected to graduate this year.
Scholarships are extended to qualified medical students, reflecting a long-term investment not just in degrees, but in building a local professional workforce.
In addition, the city government provided free school supplies to public school students.
Through the annual distribution of free school supplies to nearly 100,000 public school students, the city government eased the burden of parents.
Taken together, the initiatives form an ecosystem: allowances for daily expenses, incentives for academic excellence, pathways to higher education, and investments in professional training.
For the city, the story is told in numbers — from 5,000 scholars decades ago to more than 110,000 today.
But for families like Jasper’s, the meaning is simpler. It is the steady assurance that education is not a privilege reserved for those who can afford it, but a ladder that the city has chosen, year after year, to keep firmly in place.