by Alfonso T. Ruda
DIPOLOG CITY, APR. 18(PIA)--- Eleven student-scholars of the “Programang Agraryo Iskolar” of the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) have graduated from their college degrees for school year 2011-2012 at the different campuses of the Jose Rizal Memorial State University (JRMSU) in Zamboanga del Norte recently.
Of the 11 graduates, six (6) come from JRMSU-Katipunan Campus, four (4) from JRMSU Tampilisan Campus, and one (1) from JRMSU Dipolog City- Campus.
Jobert Lopina, who is a native of Godod, Zamboanga del Norte graduated as Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Science in Agri-Business Management degree at the JRMSU-Katipunan Campus.The other graduates also received different extra-curricular awards during their recognition day.
The Programang Agraryo Skolar, which was institutionalized by DAR was formerly the President Diosdado Macapagal Agrarian Reform Program (PDMARP).
The program is an innovative human resource development activity of the Department in support to the implementation of the beneficiary development program of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program with Extension and Reform (CARPER).
The scholarship program, which is now on its 7th year of implementation is open to all qualified dependents of ARBs residing in all municipalities of the province where the CARPER is being implemented. Qualified dependents are children and grandchildren of the ARBs and wards of ARBs who are the legal guardians of the applicants. However, only one member of an ARB will be qualified to become a grantee of the scholarship program.
It provides a 2-4 year scholarship to poor but deserving dependents of agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) who cannot afford to send their children to college for financial reason. In this respect, the program has dovetailed one major item to bring the benefit of education to as many poor families in the entire country.
The scholarship benefits include tuition and miscellaneous fees in an amount not exceeding P1,500.00 per semester. A stipend of P1,000.00 for every month that he/she is in actual school attendance in the first and second semester of the school year. The program also provide an allowance of P500.00 per semester for books, school supplies and materials.
As a major adjunct activity lending support to the agrarian reform beneficiary development program of CARPER, the scholarship program encourages the scholarship grantees to take up agriculture-related courses in State Universities and Colleges (SUCs) to be able to make positive contribution to the modernization of agriculture in the rural countryside, in providing continuity in the pursuit of technology-laden agriculture and sustainability of the lands awarded to the farmer beneficiaries under CARP.
As of 2012, there are still nine (9) undergraduate scholars of the DAR-Programang Agraryo Iskolar enrolled in the different JRMSU campuses in Zamboanga del Norte. (avn-DAR/ATR/PIA9-Zambo Norte)
