₱20K scholarship aid to benefit 400 graduating Cebu City students

CEBU CITY, Philippines – Four hundred graduating college students from Cebu City are set to receive ₱20,000 each in financial assistance under the national government’s Bagong Pilipinas Scholarship Program for school year 2026-2027.

The assistance aims to help students in their final year of college meet school-related expenses and complete their degrees despite financial difficulties.

Under the program, five incoming fourth-year students from each of Cebu City’s 80 barangays will be selected as beneficiaries.

The scholarship prioritizes students from vulnerable households who are at risk of dropping out and whose families have no member who has completed tertiary education.

Executive Secretary Ralph Recto said the program is intended to support students who are already in the final stretch of their college journey but may struggle to graduate because of financial constraints.

“Pipili ng limang scholar na nasa last mile na, ‘yong magtatapos na pero baka hindi makatapos gawa nang kulang sa pera,” Recto said during his visit to Cebu on August 13, 2026.

Aid for final-year expenses

For Civil Engineering student Earl Lawrence Regidor, the ₱20,000 assistance could help ease the financial burden of completing his engineering studies.

He said the assistance can serve as motivation for students and families who are struggling with limited financial resources.

Psychology student Angela Olorbida likewise welcomed the scholarship, noting that fourth-year students face numerous expenses as they approach graduation.

“Big help ang scholarship ilabi na karon sa amoa nga fourth year. If fourth-year, daghan jud kaayo og bayronon,” Olorbida said.

Meanwhile, Carlitos Ceniza, Kalunasan barangay captain and vice president of the Association of Barangay Councils in Cebu City, said students from vulnerable sectors were considered in the selection process.

Among those considered were students from farming families, single-parent households, and the LGBTQIA+ community.

Ceniza also expressed hope that the government could eventually expand the number of beneficiaries, particularly in barangays with high poverty rates.

READ: DOST opens 2027 scholarship applications, invites aspiring scholars to apply online.

₱100K for education per barangay

The scholarship forms part of the Bawat Barangay Makikinabang Program, which provides funding for projects and assistance at the barangay level.

Each barangay receives ₱200,000 from the Socio-Civic Projects Fund of the Office of the President, with ₱100,000 allocated specifically for education assistance.

The remaining ₱100,000 may be used for priority projects and other immediate needs identified by barangay officials, subject to program guidelines.

For Cebu City’s 80 barangays, the program amounts to a total allocation of ₱16 million.

Other Cebu localities also received funding under the program. Mandaue City was allocated ₱5.4 million for its 27 barangays, while Lapu-Lapu City received ₱6 million for its 30 barangays. Cebu Province received ₱213.2 million covering its 1,066 barangays.

For the 400 selected students, the assistance comes at a crucial point in their academic journey, helping lessen the financial pressure of their final year and bringing them closer to completing their college degrees.