This move is an immediate intervention of Davao del Norte governor Edwin Jubahib and Mayor Ernesto Evangelista to help the beneficiaries amid delays of payments of their tuition in various public and private colleges, universities.
“Kining cash assistance na atong ihatag unta makatabang kini sa 67 na Tulong Dunong beneficiaries. Nasayod kita na adunay issue didto sa payments sa ilang mga eskwelahan ug atoa na pud kita nahatagan og kasolbaran pinaagi sa CHED katong nagpahiyayon kita og consultative forum kauban ang mga opisyales sa maong ahensya,” Evangelista said in statement on Monday (Jan. 24).
Evangelista said his office is closely coordinating with Jubahib to fast-rack the release of the cash assistance to help the Tomasino TDP beneficiaries.
The Tulong Dunong is a Grant-in-Aid (GIA) under the Student Financial Assistance Programs (StuFAPS) implemented by CHED.
In Santo Tomas, there are 67 new beneficiaries recognized by CHED as evidenced by the Notice of Award (NOA) issued by the agency to the beneficiaries who are enrolled under the program. The admission of TDP beneficiaries was facilitated by the Office of Davao del Norte 2nd District Congresman Alan Dujali.
Delayed billing statements, payments
The issue came after a group of scholars/ beneficiaries sought the help of Evangelista and Jubahib. They asked the two government officials to help them with their current plight since there was “no payment” yet downloaded to the Higher Educational Institutions (HEIs) they were enrolled in.
A beneficiary is entitled to receive a P15, 000 financial assistance per academic year regardless whether they are enrolled in a public or private university.
Acting on the request of the TDP beneficiaries, Evangelista through Municipal Administrator lawyer Elisa Evangelista-Lapiña arranged a dialogue with CHED 11 officials on Jan. 21 to shed light on the issue.
CHED 11 officials who took part in the hybrid consultative forum initiated by the Santo Tomas LGU were Dr. Luis Perez, CHED 11 Education Program Specialist, Mr. Erick Jhon J. Maranon, a CHED accountant, and Mr. Rodrigo Pangantihon, CHED UniFast/TDP Program Focal.
An initial inquiry obtained by the Office of the Municipal Administrator revealed that of the 67 TDP beneficiaries only three (3) were initially paid by CHED for Academic Year 2020-2021 based on the records provided CHED XI.
This means that 64 beneficiaries have remaining “unsettled” financial obligations to the HEIs they are enrolled in.
But CHED 11 clarified that the delay of payment to HEIs was attributed to the late submission of billing statements from the concerned public or private colleges and universities.
Document provided by CHED 11 showed that HEIs submitted the billing statements to CHED as early as December 11 and as late as December 23, 2021, covering the 1st Semester and 2nd Semester.
CHED also stressed that new beneficiaries were validated after the validation of continuing grantees—the reason why the 67 beneficiaries were billed “late” by the school. The agency also urged the beneficiaries to coordinate with their scholarship focal for the administration of their grants.
CHED intervention
Due to the non-payment of TDP beneficiaries’ tuition for Academic Year 2020-2021, Evangelista sought CHED’s intervention to lobby with the concerned HEIs specifically to reconsider the admission of the affected beneficiaries pending payment of their tuition covering the 1st Semester and 2nd Semester of Academic Year 2021.
CHED’s Maranon assured that the tuition fee of all Tomasino TDP beneficiaries would be paid in April 2022 as the agency had already obligated them pending the approval of the requested budget from the Department of Budget and Management (DBM).
Perez on the other hand, vowed to sit down with the concerned HEIs to negotiate the admission of the affected beneficiaries.
However, he said that beneficiaries should pay their financial obligations to HEIs in excess of the P15, 0000 grant that CHED will be paying to the concerned public or private colleges and universities.
For his part, Evangelista thanked CHED 11 officials headed by Regional Director Maricar R. Casquejo, CESO III for promptly responding to the inquiry of the Santo Tomas LGU and for providing the necessary mechanism to help the plight of TDP beneficiaries.
“Dako akong pasalamat sa CHED kay nihatag sila og katin-awan sa maong issue. Salamat kay ilaha ng gihatagan og paspas na aksyon ang atong hangyo na mahatagan og konsiderasyon ang mga TDP grantees nato na ma-enroll sa ilang eskwelahan bisag gina-process pa ang payment,” Evangelista-Lapiña said.
Facebook Conversations