FPIP president Giles Puno (2nd from left) and FIRST College president Joaquin Quintos IV (3rd from left) sign the agreement to fund a scholarship program for students from Tanauan City and Santo Tomas City in Batangas. Witnessing the event are Karmela Marie Sarmiento (extreme left), FIRST College chief business development officer, and Ricky Carandang, FPIP vice presidentFirst Philippine Industrial Park (FPIP) and FIRST Industrial Science and Technology College Inc. (FIRST College) have opened a P1-million educational fund for the benefit of poor yet bright students from their two host cities in Batangas province.

FPIP president Giles Puno and FIRST College president Joaquin Quintos IV signed a memorandum of agreement recently to implement a holistic educational grant for eligible students.

The program is open to incoming Grade 11 and Grade 12 students who are currently enrolled in FIRST College and residing either in Tanauan City or Santo Tomas City in Batangas.

Qualified scholars will each enjoy a financial grant of P74,500 per year for tuition and matriculation fees, including P4,200 in monthly stipend and internet allowance. The scholarship fund, a pilot program for FPIP, will accept an initial batch of 13 indigent scholars.

As recipients under this holistic scholarship program, the eligible scholars will receive close guidance from, as well as “kumustahan” and counseling sessions, with FPIP and FIRST College. These interactions will help FPIP and FIRST College track the progress of the scholars and ensure their academic and personal development.

FPIP, established in 1996, now provides employment for almost 80,000 Filipinos aside from generating hundreds of millions of pesos in tax revenues for the host local government units.

Located right inside FPIP, FIRST College offers a unique curriculum and academic approach in close collaboration with industry partners, many of whom are FPIP locators themselves. This close collaboration allows students to gain extensive hands-on learning experience with industry professionals as their mentors.

FPIP is a proud and consistent partner to its host communities in providing jobs and programs to link educational gaps for its network schools in Batangas.

(Story/Photos by: Joel Gaborni)