Angel Anne Fatima B. Alvarado, 23, from Digos City, Davao del Sur, successfully finished her bachelor’s degree in Management Accounting with the support of a scholarship grant from the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE).
Angel Anne’s father, Mr. Angelito B. Alvarado, is a member of Nagkahiusang Mamumuo sa DASUSECO-NFL. Pursuant to the Department’s mandate to strengthen trade unionism, said labor union applied for the scholarship grant of DOLE under the Workers Organization and Development Program (WODP).
WODP provides educational opportunities to union officers and members, including their dependents, and offers greater productivity, prosperity, and welfare to the employer and workers’ organization.
In 2018, Angel Anne was admitted to the program as she started her four-year course at the University of Mindanao in Davao City. The scholarship program covered her tuition fees, monthly stipend, and miscellaneous fees. Angel Anne shared that the scholarship assuredly helped her parents manage their finances to cover the costs of her other siblings’ education.
“Amidst the trials and difficulties, this scholarship became my motivation to finish my studies. I am forever grateful to DOLE for this opportunity. I hope this program continues to inspire more youth like me to go to college and to keep their hopes alive despite the financial constraints,” she said.
Under the WODP Scholarship Grant Component, the Department aids Masteral Degree, completion of a bachelor’s degree, vocational or technical courses for a maximum of two (2) years, and review of professional examination (except for bar review) for a maximum of six (6) months.
This component has the Regular Scholarship for officers and members of workers’ organizations and the Isabelo delos Reyes (IDR) scholarship for legitimate dependent children who will enroll in tertiary education.
Regular Scholarship grant covers up to a maximum of four (4) semesters, while IDR scholarship covers the completion of four (4) to five (5) years of a bachelor’s degree in state universities and colleges.
“We are always delighted whenever our WODP scholars graduate in college. This shows our well-established partnership among the worker’s organizations in the region. This program continually serves as one of our strategies to strengthen and empower the workers’ organizations as vital collaborators in national development. In Davao Region, we want to expand the reach of this program and leverage our resources to efficiently promote trade unionism, empowerment of workers, and sound labor-management,” said DOLE XI Regional Director Atty. Randolf C. Pensoy.
Right now, DOLE XI has six (6) active WODP scholars under the IDR scholarship. – (PR)