Benguet sets “Study Now Pay Later” program for MD course

May 27, 2019 Provincial

LA TRINIDAD, Benguet – The Provincial Government of Benguet recently approved the revised ordinance on “Study Now Pay Later Program” (SNPLP) and other courses needed in this upland province and has provided an initial funds worth P2 million for the said scheme.

The revised ordinance 19- 247, authored by Board Member Juan Nazarro, Jr. was actually signed by outgoing provincial governor Crescencio Pacalso on May 15, 2019.

Under the ordinance, the qualification for applicant student grantee shall be as follows: applicant is born and resident of the Province of Benguet; must be of good moral character; must have attended and completed his/her elementary school up to high school in the Province of Benguet or in the City of Baguio; applicant’s both parents should be registered voters in the province; and must have voted in the last national election.

Other requirements include the following: applicant must have finished any related four (4) year course to be able to pursue Doctor of Medicine; must have passed the National Medical Admission Test (NMAT); and must be enrolled in any Medical School in Luzon.

Among the guidelines set in the revised ordinance are as follows: a) there shall be at least one grantee per year per municipality but slots may be given to another municipality if there are no other applicants; (b) each grantee shall be entitled to the actual tuition and other miscellaneous fees and a book allowance amounting to P20,000 per semester depending on the school enrolled in; (c) SNLP grantees enrolled in State Universities and Colleges (SUCs) who are also beneficiaries of the “Free Higher Education” of the national government may be granted a loan equivalent to a fixed amount to be determined by the SNLP Committee which amount may not be lower than P50,000 but not higher than P100,000.

Under the revised ordinance, it stated “the student is a debtor to the Province of Benguet for the amount loan that she/shall availed under the SNPL Program, the loan should have been spent to enroll in Doctor of Medicine or approved needed course only, the student should have graduated from the degree program enrolled in”.

The revised ordinance further states, “the student-debtor is obliged to pay the Province (Benguet) the amount of loan availed of only after a period of two (2) years from acquiring an employment.

If he/she has not acquired gainful employment, then the period of two years does not even begin to run”.

If the student debtor failed to finish his/her Doctor of Medicine or approved needed course, he/she shall return all the amount loaned from the Province, the ordinance states.

The revised ordinance also stated, “the parents or any sponsor of the student-grantee will have to shoulder transportation, food and lodging expenses needed by the student-grantee”.

Primo Agatep/ABN