Cadiz ‘unique scholarship’ program gets more than 5,000 student-applicants

Cadiz City’s “unique scholarship” program got more than 5,000 student-applicants for the second semester of school year (SY) 2023-2024.

Mayor Salvador Escalante, Jr. said the distribution of application forms was held at Cadiz Arena on Saturday and Sunday, February 17 and 18.

The application, the mayor said, was open to old and new scholars and even to walk-in college students as long as they are bonafide Cadiz residents.

Processing of applications will commence this week, and the final results will be announced soonest before the second semester starts next week.

But why unique?

“Because our 23-year-old Cadiz City Education Assistance Program (CCEAP) is not just for the brightest or acadamically-excellent students, but for the mediocre ones, too,” Escalante stressed.

He said he doesn’t want to be choosy neither be bias against those who are only average or mediocre students.

“For as long as the city government can afford, we will not be choosy,” Escalante stressed.

“Because CCEAP,” the mayor confessed, “ain’t just for the poor, deserving or brightest college students.”

Even the mediocre ones are very much welcome, he said.

CCEAP, which is Escalante’s “brainchild” founded 23 years ago, is inspired by the life stories of the famous taipans like John Gokongwei, Lucio Tan and even Ramong Ang.

“Academically speaking, these renowned taipans were just average students during their college days.

“But, undoubtedly, they excelled in business,” the mayor underscored.

“So, who knows? Some Cadiz students maybe mediocre now, but tomorrow, they’re also ‘the best’ in their choosen endeavors.”

Cadiz, meanwhile, allocates P16-M per semester or P32-M per year just for CCEAP.

And for this very reason, Escalante bared the city government is set to establish its own city college soonest.

“Our CCEAP allocation per year is more than enough to run a city/community college, so, we are in the stage now of finalizing the plan of the said purpose,” the mayor concluded.*