By Daniel P. Tapaoan, Jr. 

As a fruit of partnership with AGA Academy, three senior agriculture students of the Mariano Marcos State University (MMSU) have received full scholarship from the Canadian institution. 

John Lester Pungtilan, Meynard Saclayan, and Christian Paul Lazaro of the MMSU College of Agriculture, Food and Sustainable Development have been accepted as the first grantees of the AGA Presidential Scholarship. Starting this October, they will receive a monthly living allowance of Php 5,600 for one academic year. 

The presidential scholarship was formally received by MMSU officials on October 11 at the AGA Academy-Calgary Campus. The team was composed of Dr. Mee Jay Domingo, director for internationalization, linkages and partnerships; Dr. Marlowe Aquino, director for planning; and Prof. Ryan Dean Sucgang, OIC dean of College of Health Sciences They were having a two-week business trip in Canada.

Prior to the awarding, a memorandum of agreement for the scholarship was signed by AGA Chief Executive Officer and President Abelita L. Villanueva and MMSU President Shirley C. Agrupis. 

In an interview, PSCA said the scholarship program manifests the thriving partnership between the two schools. “Through our alumna’s generosity, our scholars will have the opportunity to fulfill their dreams and become virtuous human capital,” she expressed, committing that MMSU will closely monitor the scholars’ academic performance.  

AGA President Villanueva responded the initiative is “my way of giving back to my alma mater.” She added she looks forward to helping more MMSU students, especially those who lack the means in obtaining a degree. Villanueva is a graduate of agricultural technology in CAFSD (then College of Agriculture and Forestry) in 1998. 

According to Ms. Krismary Sharmaine Yapo, chief for alumni relations, AGA will select three student-scholars every year. Applicants should obtain a general weighted average of not lower than 1.75 for the past two semesters. They must also have a combined annual gross income of parents or guardians which does not exceed Php 400,000. In cases where the income exceeds the amount, the applicants must present a school certification of two or more dependents enrolled in college or a medical certification of an illness of a family member. Application form can be accessed at https://bit.ly/MMSUAGAApplicationForm. 

In June, the university and the academy officially agreed to collaborate on various internationalization activities to advance quality education and community engagement, having signed a memorandum of understanding. MMSU is the first-ever Philippine university partner of an MMSU alumna-owned Canada-based academy. (JVBT, StratCom)