A total of 223 Project Free Paglaum teacher-scholars finished their post-graduate studies at the University of St. La Salle – Bacolod, and Negros Occidental Gov. Eugenio Bong Lacson was the speaker at their graduation ceremony recently.
Lacson lauded the graduates and said their dedication and hard work are appreciated and will serve as an inspiration to other scholars, a press release from Capitol said.
“Education is one of the most important components of our present administration and it is my priority to strengthen our educational policies,” he said. “Lives have been deeply transformed by education and I am glad that you are going to be one of those, and that you are going to impart the same to our students.”
The Flagships to Reach Educational Excellence – Paglaum Program (Project Free) is one of the scholarship programs of the provincial government of Negros Occidental, and open to all public elementary and high school teachers in the province who would like to avail of post-graduate studies.
Annabelle Balor, vice chancellor for Academic Affairs and Project Free director, said that to date, 2,756 public school teachers have already graduated under this scholarship at USLS.
Negros Occidental Scholarship Program head, Karen Dinsay, said that aside from professional growth and advancement, the scholarship is intended to improve the skills of public school teachers that will redound to the improvement of the scholastic performance of the schoolchildren, the press release said.
Br. Joaquin Severino Martinez, USLS Bacolod president and chancellor, said he is thankful to the provincial government for the grant of the scholarship program to Negrense teachers.
Other graduates attended the graduation ceremony virtually, in observance of health protocols.
Board Member Agustin Ernesto Bascon, chairman of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan Committee on Education, was also present at the graduation ceremony.
Lacson recently signed a memorandum of agreement with USLS and the Department of Education, to grant a similar scholarship to Batch 3 of Project Free scholars.*
