Meet the PHINMA National Scholarship Scholars

The PNS Program is another “Life Can Be Better” initiative of the PHINMA Group through its PHINMA Foundation. Through these scholarships, the company seeks to demonstrate its continued commitment to education and to producing globally competitive young Filipinos. Most especially, the company seeks to provide opportunities to the least privileged but capable youth of the country via this campaign.

Left to right, first row: Rosarie Zamora, Business Administration and Accountancy, UP; Ronalie Asto, BS Education, PNU. Second row: Bernadette Berdaje, BS Industrial Engineeing, UP; Herman Barce, BS Industrial Engineeing, UP; Bernice Rallonza, BS Education, PNU, Armand Galacia, BS Education, PNU. Third row: Minerva Canlas, BS Chemical Engineering, UP; Justine Loteria, BS English, PNU; Maria Jea Blanco, BS Math, PNU. Fourth row: Rovie Pacaldo, BS Education, PNU.

The scholarship being started for Academic Year 2006-2007 covers tuition fees, board and lodging, and allowance for qualified beneficiaries.

PHINMA is partnering with UP Diliman for the Engineering and Accountancy degrees, and with Philippine Normal University for the Education degree for the scholarship program. PHINMA has long had roots in these fields, and has several companies under its stewardship that deal with property and shelter, education, energy, and financial services.

Eleven qualified beneficiaries have been accepted into the scholarship. PHINMA expects to expand the program in the near future to cover a greater number of students.
During the launch program, the scholars were briefed by PHINMA SVP for Education Network Chito Salazar and PHINMA Foundation Executive Director Laurie Javier, and Associate Director for Philippine Business for Education Peter Perfecto. The scholars also had the opportunity to tour the PHINMA headquarters at the Rockwell Center and meet with PHINMA top executives and guests from the partner universities.

PHINMA Chairman Oscar J. Hilado, President & CEO Ramon R. del Rosario Jr., Chief Operating Officer Roberto M. Laviña (also the PHINMA Foundation president), and Vice Chairman Dr. Magdaleno B. Albarracin Jr. were among the PHINMA officers who welcomed the scholars.

Setting it apart from other scholarships, the PHINMA scholarship provides an allowance for its beneficiaries. It is hoped that this will attract students who might otherwise have not taken the entrance exams for lack of funds to cover incidental costs involved in going to school.
In addition, the scholarship program provides out-of-classroom supplemental activities such as study tours, leadership conferences, outreach programs, and Big Brother/Big Sister programs.

As the PNS program believes in the principles of paying forward, PNS scholars automatically become PHINMA Foundation volunteers. As such, they shall be invited to join activities and projects of the PHINMA Foundation. They shall, themselves, become Ate’s and Kuya’s to children whom the foundation may choose to help. They shall be invited to help implement various corporate social responsibility (CSR) programs and join outreach activities.
In recent years, PHINMA has strengthened its thrust toward education with the acquisition and development of Araullo University in Nueva Ecija and Cagayan de Oro College in Cagayan de Oro City.

“We want to build up this scholarship, and our education program in general, because we truly believe that education is the future of the Filipino. By equipping him with the tools he needs to become competitive in the workplace, we enable the Filipino professional to realize that the future is bright for him here in the Philippines, and-with his help-that it can be bright for his fellow countrymen as well,” says Ramon R. Del Rosario, president and CEO of PHINMA.

The Scholars with the PHINMA and School Officials: Ramon R del Rosario Jr (PHINMA President and CEO), Dr Rosita Sia (Philippine Normal Universarsity Scholarship Coordinator), Dr. Erlinda Echanis (Dean UP College of Business Administration), Ambassador Ramon V. del Rosario Sr. (PHINMA’s Chairman Emeritus), Roberto M. Lavina (PHINMA Foundation President and PHINMA EVP-COO), Dr. Magdaleno B. Albarrcin Jr. (PHINMA’s Vice Chairman).