DREAMS deferred by poverty may soon become futures restored.
A total of 2,645 high school graduates who once thought college was impossible due to sheer poverty can now earn a diploma through a fully funded scholarship program at the University of Cebu (UC).
In partnership with the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), UC launched the program on Dec. 4, 2025, offering 3-year diploma courses in Hospitality Management and Tourism Management.
TESDA prioritized the two courses as these industries demand high for educated employees, locally and abroad. More importantly, it gives young Cebuanos the one thing poverty often steals from them: a fighting chance.
UC chairman Atty. Augusto W. Go, known for his lifelong advocacy of accessible education, delivered the announcement with a personal appeal: “There are so many who cannot afford to go to college. Let’s help them. This is money well-spent.”
He stressed that education must never be a privilege, nor a door closed to those who lack resources. “Education is life’s greatest equalizer,” he pointed out in a press conference Friday, Dec. 5, at his office in UC Main.
Go said his mission has always been to extend UC’s reach to the poorest sectors, to those unable to pay even the smallest tuition, much less buy books or travel daily to a university campus.
“If you’re qualified, come over here,” he urged. “The government is going to spend for it. Everything is free, not even a peso needed,” he emphatically added.
Under the scholarship package, TESDA will shoulder:
Tuition Fee
Textbooks and instructional materials
National competency assessments (NC II to NC IV)
School and workshop uniforms
Accident insurance
₱9,000 cash allowance per semester
Each scholar is subsidized ₱45,000 per semester, roughly ₱100,000 per year, totaling about ₱270,000 per student, noted a TESDA circular that implements Republic Act 10931, the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act (UAQTEA).
“The government provides personal allowance, book allowance, everything is free, nearly ₱100,000 per student per year,” Go emphasized, assuring the programs is backed by state-of-the-art facilities.
Only UC is carrying the TESDA program in Cebu, the region even, as yet.
Enrollment until Dec. 29
Classes officially begin December 15, 2025, as TESDA mandated.
Applicants may continue submitting until the end of December but Go urged immediate action due to the tight timeline.
“This program is time-bound. If the slots are not filled, the funds will be returned to the National Government,” he said.
UC revealed that on a day from launch 296 had enrolled, still far short of the 2,645 available scholarships.
“Please take advantage of it,” Go appealed to the public. “Help us spread the word.”
Open to all
While the Cebu City Government helps disseminate information to potential beneficiaries, Go clarified that slots are open to all Cebuanos and even residents outside Cebu.
“If you have the will to study, UC will help you graduate,” he assured, no age limit and no long checklist, he pointed out.
Applicants need to submit:
Form 137 or 138;
PSA Birth Certificate;
Certificate of Good Moral Character; and
Honorable Dismissal, if previously enrolled in college.
Alternative Learning System (ALS) passers and pre-K-12 high school graduates are also welcome, disclosed Dr. Dennis A. Samar, UC director for technical education.
While the courses will initially be offered at the UC Maritime Education and Training Center (METC), Go ordered his lead educators to expand to UC’s campuses at Jones (Osmeña Blvd., across SSS), Banilad, and Lapu-Lapu Mandaue (UCLM).
This is to lessen transportation burden for scholars coming from different areas.
“We will open all our campuses. We will take care of them,” he said.
In making his call, Go asked the public to understand that the scholarships are not handouts from politicians or business leaders, but public funds meant for the people.
“We are already paying taxes — gasoline tax, road tax, income tax. Let us make use of our money for this, not for contractors,” he said, as he guaranteed financial integrity. “I will not misuse this. UC, I promise you, will not misuse it.”
He pointed out that each scholar will have their own Landbank ATM card, where TESDA will deposit the funds directly to prevent mishandling.
Legal backbone
UAQTEA mandates free tuition and government support for public tertiary education, including Philippine Qualifications Framework (PQF) Level V Diploma programs, bridging vocational skills to a future bachelor’s degree.
Graduates from the 3-year diploma may proceed to a 4th year to complete a full bachelor’s degree, if they choose.
AI next
Beyond tourism programs, UC and TESDA are exploring Artificial Intelligence courses across UC campuses and potential global training opportunities in Taiwan, a partnership that goes beyond short-term employment goals.
With most families tightening budgets and some students already giving up on school, the timing of this program feels like a gift, noted Go.
“Imagine earning a diploma after three years, all for free. “This is the best Christmas gift we can give to our youth,” he emphatically said.
For thousands of families, the once-dismissed dream of college is now within reach, just one enrollment form at UC METC, UC Jones, UC Banilad SHS building and UCLM.
One may inquire at (0926) 081-9752 or (032) 410-8811, local 5143 / 5147 / 5151, or via email at registrar.metc@uc.edu.ph or ucmetc.tetac@gmail.com.
A promise of hope
Atty. Go ended the press conference with a call that resonated beyond the room:
“If they have the determination, UC will give them a chance. We will guide them. We will help them succeed.”
For 2,645 young Filipinos whose dreams were once halted by hardship, those words are not just a promise. They are a pathway. They are a future. They are opportunity restored.
