The Senate on Monday approved a bill establishing a permanent national merit scholarship program for outstanding senior high school graduates pursuing college or technical-vocational education.

Senate Bill No. 2410, or the proposed Presidential Merit Scholarship Program (PMSP) Act, is among the priority measures under the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council’s (LEDAC) Common Legislative Agenda targeted for passage by Congress before the end of June 2027.

The measure would institutionalize the Bagong Pilipinas Merit Scholarship Program into PMSP as the government’s premier national merit-based scholarship and provide separate pathways for higher education and technical-vocational diploma programs.

Senator Joel Villanueva, principal sponsor and author of the measure, said financial circumstances should not determine whether academically gifted students can pursue their education.

“Ang talino at kakayahan ay hindi dapat maging pribilehiyo lamang ng may kaya. Ito ay yaman ng ating bayan na nararapat linangin at suportahan (Talent and ability should not be a privilege only of those who can afford it; these are national assets that must be nurtured and supported),” Villanueva said.

He said the program is designed to balance academic merit with equity by giving financially challenged but high-performing students a fair chance to secure government support.

“Merit opens the door, equity ensures that deserving students with less in life are given a fair chance to walk through it,” Villanueva said.

Under the measure, qualified senior high school graduates may pursue either undergraduate degree programs recognized by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) or technical-vocational diploma programs recognized by the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA).

Applicants must generally belong to families with a combined annual gross income not exceeding PHP2 million, subject to periodic adjustment to take into account inflation and education costs.

When qualified applicants exceed available scholarship slots, preference will be given to those from lower-income households.

For the higher education track, applicants must have attained at least a 95-percent general weighted average in Grade 11 and qualify for a priority degree program.

Technical-vocational applicants must have at least an 85-percent general weighted average and gain admission to a TESDA-recognized diploma program in a priority sector.

Priority fields include science, technology, engineering and mathematics; agriculture and fisheries; health and allied health sciences; information technology, artificial intelligence and data science; specialized teacher education; and research and innovation.

Timely release of benefits

The measure also requires CHED and TESDA, in coordination with the Department of Budget and Management, to establish clear timelines for processing and releasing scholarship benefits.

Villanueva said implementing agencies and participating schools must strictly observe the timelines and clearly communicate them to scholars.

“Hindi pakiusap ang napapanahong paglabas ng scholarship benefits. Obligasyon ito ng pamahalaan (The timely release of scholarship benefits is not a request. It is an obligation of the government),” he said.

“A scholarship that arrives too late may already mean a semester missed, an education interrupted, or an opportunity lost,” he added.

The scholarship may cover tuition and other school fees, living and relocation expenses, room and board, transportation, books, connectivity, laboratory costs and other education-related needs.

Scholars will also be required to render service in the Philippines equivalent to the number of years they benefited from the program through employment, professional practice, research, teaching, community engagement or public service.

“This is an education, jobs, and nation-building measure,” Villanueva said, adding that the public’s investment in scholars should eventually return to the country through their skills and service.

Existing scholars under the Bagong Pilipinas Merit Scholarship Program would continue receiving their benefits and would not be displaced or disadvantaged by the transition to the PMSP. (PNA)