Bangsamoro, Philippines — Some 649 incoming first-year college students in the region took the Department of Science and Technology – Science Education Institute (DOST-SEI) Undergraduate Scholarship Examination on March 18-19, 2023.

There were 273 examinees in Cotabato City and Maguindanao, 296 in Lanao del Sur, 39 in Basilan, 15 in Sulu, and 26 in Tawi-Tawi. Notre Dame Village National High School, Basilan State College, Mindanao State University – Sulu, Mindanao State University- Integrated Laboratory School – Marawi, and Notre Dame of Bongao were the five (5) testing centers utilized to accommodate the examinees across the Bangsamoro region. MOST Science Education, Scholarships, and Grants (SESG) Division and Provincial Science and Technology Centers (PSTC) personnel together with examiners from DOST-SEI facilitated the examination.

Rocaya Edres, LPT, MOST SESG – Division Chief, said that they had facilitated the examination of 649 students in different provinces to assist them in the scholarship program offered by DOST Central Office.

“We wanted to assist our Bangsamoro students in different scholarship programs that DOST Central Office offered. This exam facilitation is our way to help them in their journey to becoming a qualified DOST-SEI scholar for 2023,” Rocaya said.

She also added that to strengthen the development of S & T human resources in the region they will help in the conduct of different activities for the welfare of students through scholarship programs.

“We always aim to produce S & T human resources in the future that will join the workforce of the country and significantly contribute to the economic development of the Bangsamoro region,” She added.

According to DOST-SEI, ten thousand (10,000) new qualifiers nationwide will be identified sometime in June 2023. They must enroll in priority S&T academic programs in state colleges and universities or private institutions that are recognized by the Commission on Higher Education as centers of excellence or development or with Level III accreditation from the Federation of Accrediting Agencies of the Philippines (FAAP) for the academic programs they intend to enroll in.

The scholarship benefits include tuition fees and other school fees subsidies, monthly stipends, learning material and/or connectivity allowance, uniform allowance, transportation allowance, thesis allowance, and graduation allowance. It also includes non-monetary benefits under the Science and Technology Learning Assistance Program.

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[Information and Communication]