Metrobank, gt foundations formalize scholarships with 10 acad. institutions

SUSTAINING efforts in providing equitable access to quality education for successful student-applicants, Metrobank Foundation Inc. (MBFI) and GT Foundation Inc. (GTFI) have just relaunched their scholarship programs.

A ceremonial signing of a memorandum of agreement with 10 academic institutions was held on April 13 at the Metrobank Plaza in Makati City. The ceremony and collaborative dialogue was led by MBFI president and GTFI executive director Aniceto M. Sobrepeña, together with MBFI executive vice president Philip “Boyet” Dy and Metrobank talent acquisition head Nicanor Esguerra Jr. Two scholarship programs were expanded by GTFI, while one was relaunched by MBFI. In all, the three scholarships will benefit 99 students for their college education.

“Over the years, whenever there is a government call for increased support to the education sector, we [would always have another scholarship] program,” said Sobrepeña.

“This time our aim is to [aid] graduating students who are affected by the postpandemic financial crisis. We hope to help launch their careers as well by providing them job opportunities within the Metrobank Group, [as we have tried to reach out to different colleges and…provinces as our response].”

Revitalized program

NOW on its fourth run, ACCESS (Assistance for the Completion of College Education for Superior Students) is MBFI’s primary scholarship program catering to college learners pursuing courses in statistics, information technology, engineering and business administration, among others. To date the program has produced 514 graduates since 1995.

The scholarship will partially cover the tuition fees of students from first year until graduation. Sixty scholars will be chosen from the following: Saint Louis University in Baguio City; University of the PhilippinesDiliman’s (UPD) School of Statistics; Lyceum of the Philippines University-Batangas; Ateneo de Naga University; University of San Jose-Recoletos in Cebu City; and University of Mindanao in Davao City.

Sustaining scholarship Programs

ON the other hand, GTFI’s scholarship programs continue to expand through the Reformation and Educational Assistance Program

(REAP) and Youth for Excellence and Service Program (YES).

REAP will provide scholarship support to third-year and fourth-year college students pursuing the science, technology, engineering and mathematics track, or STEM. Successful scholars will also be given opportunities for internship and employment within the Metrobank Group.

Said grants will be awarded to 29 students from the Manila Tytana Colleges, Adamson University and Technological Institute of the Philippines.

Likewise, GT YES, as a parallel effort to MBFI’s ACCESS IV, will particularly support 10 engineering students (geodetic, industrial, computer, and electronics and communications) from UPD which will cover their cost of living expenses from first year until graduation. Said initiative is a joint effort with the

UP College of Engineering—particularly its Research and Development Foundation Inc.

After the ceremonial signing Dy led a collaborative dialogue with the academic partners to discuss ways of enhancing support for the holistic growth of the chosen and soon-to-be-chosen scholars. Innovations in implementing scholarship programs, best practices in managing student learning, and other collaborations that will benefit the education system formed part of the talks.

Since 1995 MBFI’s various scholarship programs have produced more than 1,000 college graduates. On the other hand, aside from college students, GTFI’s scholarship programs also cater to supporting scholars taking up technical-vocational education, as it has produced 170 graduates to date. For more information, visit mbfoundation.org.ph.

By Roderick L. Abad

THE Philippines has a vast potential to become a leading blockchain and “Web3” hub—thanks to the initiative of Binance Academy which chose the country as the first stop of its recently concluded university rounds in Southeast Asia and Asia-Pacific Regions.

The learning platform of the world’s blockchain ecosystem and cryptocurrency infrastructure provider, Binance has visited 75 schools across 25 countries worldwide to spread global blockchain and digital-currency literacy, including its awareness.

From April 17 to 20 Binance Academy went to several higher education institutions: the Asian Institute of Management, the National University-Laguna (NUL), Enderun Colleges, University of Batangas and the Far Eastern University, where they met more than 1,000 students and faculty members. Binance Content and Partnerships Manager Adam Smurthwaite led the introductory training sessions on blockchain and cryptocurrency during the said visits.

At NUL, Binance Academy partnered with Yield Guild Games: a decentralized autonomous organization that invests in nonfungible token-gaming projects. It also shared more about Web3 gaming with the attendees. After which, 400 participants teamed up in groups to brainstorm and develop innovative ideas to gamify a learning platform, as the winning team received exclusive Binance merchandise.

The institution has likewise partnered with Enderun Colleges to expand the latter’s educational reach and increase crypto literacy among students and educators. For this visit, the Binance Academy team was joined by representatives from the Department of Information and Communications Technology, as well as the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center.

An alliance with Edukasyon.ph was also established to launch the “Binance Scholar Philippines Web3 Scholarship” program, aimed at increasing educational outreach in the market, and providing opportunities for Filipinos’ broader inclusion in the Web3 industry.

These are just some of Binance Academy’s initiatives for 2023. With its many undertakings, the Philippines has seen significant growth and interest in the Web3 ecosystem, with a proven Web3 and blockchain adoption track record.

“The Philippines is an obvious choice for the first stop of our Binance Academy Asia Tour, as we managed to get enthusiastic responses from our university-partners [through visits and holding] training sessions for their students,” Content and Partnerships Manager Adam Smurthwaite said. “Although nascent, blockchain technology is not foreign to many Filipinos due to the popularity of ‘GameFi’ in the country. By holding this tour, we hope to create a good entry point to Web3 for the younger minds.”

INSPIRING more Filipinos to read and easily comprehend, the free-to-download tech-publishing app “NABU: Multilingual Kids Books” has released its first batch of regional language books for Filipino learners from diverse backgrounds.

Globe has partnered with the New Yorkbased nonprofit organization NABU, which is focused on eradicating poverty through increased literacy and free access to mother tongue books through their proprietary app.

“We believe that everyone should have access to age-appropriate, culturally relevant, and accurate reading materials in their own language,” said Globe Group’s chief sustainability and corporate communications officer Yoly Crisanto. “This is an important step toward making literacy more accessible for everyone with the help of digital platforms such as NABU.”

The two organizations believe that confidence in children builds up when they can read in their local language first, which induces comprehension. As a result, literacy levels increase, which provides children the ability to expand their learning skills and rise to their full potential.

Literacy is a prerequisite for eradicating poverty. However there is a dearth of local language books at the early-grade levels, resulting in children leaving school without the ability to read. The condition renders them extremely vulnerable to social and economic exploitation.

CEO Tanyella Allison shares NABU’s honor of “welcoming all Filipinos on our global journey to create a culture of reading, and hope that our app and content will inspire children to get back into the habit of reading.”

NABU Phils.’ country manager Mauro Daez added: “With the release of our regional bilingual books, we want to bring back the fun, curiosity and creativity gained from reading to the major regions of the country, while simultaneously having parents and teachers discover new stories that can equally get them excited to read alongside the children. With hundreds of languages being spoken in the Philippines, this is our start to providing reading resources to those [who] may not be able to afford them.”

Since NABU’s October 2022 launch in the country, 50 regional language titles have been added within the app, includ - ing stories written in Cebuano, Ilocano, Bicolano, Hiligaynon and Maranao, and illustrated by local Filipino artists. These complement the currently available 100plus original stories developed by NABU, which are provided to children across the Philippines in partnership with Globe and the E. Zobel Foundation.

Among available titles at www.nabu.org/ download on Android and iOS are “Magturugang Habang Buhay” ( Brothers for Life , in Bicolano), “So Alongan Ago So Olan” ( The Sun and the Moon , in Maranao), “Layo ang Gakaabtan sa Gugma ( Love Travels Further, in Cebuano), “Mas Maayo kun Updanay ang Tanan” ( Better Together, in Hiligaynon), and “Kabaelak Nga Aramiden” ( Dare to Try, in Ilocano).

The telco firm has always been a strong advocate of literacy and digital skills. It has the “Globe eLibrary” mobile app and web site ( globeelibrary.ph) containing hundreds of classic English titles, age-appropriate storybooks, e-Learning videos and other resource materials that can be viewed online, or downloaded for later use.

“By working together to build the Web3 infrastructure in the Philippines, we will be able to see more Web3 jobs being created and build a pipeline of local talents,” added General Manager Kenneth Stern of Binance in the Philippines. “This is [a good] time for young people to learn more about the technology, and the values…it can bring.”

The Binance Academy sessions gained positive feedback from university studentattendees. According to them, such learning efforts provide a strong platform for learning and developing knowledge in emerging technologies, as well as open networking opportunities with industry leaders and subject-matter experts. With this in mind, they expressed interest in continuing to join in similar initiatives and applying their newly acquired skills to create an impact on their communities.

“Education drives such as the ‘Binance Academy University Tour’ can help overcome preconceived notions and technological challenges for those who are just getting into blockchain and Web3,” said Timothy Shi, a student at Enderun Colleges.

Tourism Editor: Edwin P. Sallan