By Daniel P. Tapaoan, Jr. 

592 students of Mariano Marcos State University (MMSU) are receiving their stipends from the Tertiary Education Subsidy (TES) program of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) at the Teatro Ilocandia today, November 17. 

This is in line with the CHED advisory to distribute the stipends to the TES grantees for first semester this year. 

Started yesterday, Nov. 16, the activity benefitted 161 students from the College of Teacher Education, 116 from the College of Engineering, 106 from the College of Business, Economics and Accountancy, 102 from the College of Industrial Technology, 56 from College of Arts and Sciences, 24 from the College of Agriculture, Food and Sustainable Development, 19 from the College of Health Sciences, and eight from the College of Aquatic Sciences and Applied Technology. 

The MMSU Office of Student Affairs and Services and the Cashier’s Office are facilitating the distribution. 

“I am really thankful for the stipend I received,” beamed Jhosua Barroga, 22, of Brgy. #31 Talingaan in Laoag City and a BS Industrial Technology student of CIT. “Being part of the TES program is really a big help to me in pursuing my studies under the new normal.” 

The TES is a government grants-in-aid program in line with the enactment of Republic Act 10931 or the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act, a law that institutionalizes free tuition and exemption from other fees in state universities and colleges (SUCs), local universities and colleges (LUCs) in the Philippines. 

Under the program, cash assistance amounting to P40,000 per school year is given to financially needy students in both public and private schools, as well as to those studying in municipalities and cities without public universities. (StratCom)