By Marinel E. Peroy
The Taipei Economic and Cultural Office (TECO) in the Philippines hosted an awarding ceremony for 95 Filipinos chosen as scholarship recipients this year.
In a reception held in Makati City, Filipino awardees include 65 students who will undergo the Taiwan Huayu (Mandarin) Enrichment Scholarship, 20 students for the Ministry of Education (MOE), and 10 students for the Taiwan’s International Development Cooperation Fund (Taiwan ICDF).
“Since 2016, we have adopted a New Southbound Policy, which aims to establish closer relations through people-to-people exchanges. Scholarship is one of the projects that we push very hard. The Philippines is one of the priority partners in our New Southbound Policy, so, we are very happy to provide scholarships for Filipino students,” said Taiwan Representative to the Philippines Wallace Chow.
He explained that the Filipino students can acquire quality education, cultural experience, and skills such as in technology, and they choose to continue their career path either in Taiwan or the Philippines, noting that Taiwan has over 150,000 overseas Filipino workers.
Meanwhile, Manila Economic & Cultural Office (MECO) Chairman Silvestre Bello III said that there have been job fairs for Taiwan, including the Job Fair and Career Expo event was hosted in Isabela province last July 7. He said the upcoming job fairs are in Ilocos Sur and Ilocos Norte in September, and in Leyte in October.
Beyond education, an immersive cultural experience
Jamae Singca Buensuceso, 25, is among the 95 scholars going to Taiwan. She will start her 6-month program in August 2024 under the Huayu Enrichment Scholarship at Chung Yuan Christian University, with a monthly stipend of 25,000 NTD (about PHP 44,500).
Buensuceso aims to leverage herself in the workforce by studying the Mandarin language. She said that Taiwan’s overall culture – from delectable food to rich heritage – serves as part of her motivation to study in the country.
She explained that being bilingual would not only contribute to her personal development but also an opportunity to increase her salary.
“It is really good to study another language. You can communicate [with] other Asians and you will have other opportunities outside [and even inside] the Philippines,” Buensuceso said.
She also invites her co-Filipino students to try applying for scholarships in Taiwan to “appreciate more of their place and culture.”
Indeed, scholarships also provide a platform for industry-academia collaborations in various industries, improve professional skills, and harness vocational education for these selected Filipinos.
“Let not this opportunity go to waste. Your future is now brighter and as brilliant and strong as our relations with your host, Taiwan,” Bello III told the scholars.
