48 Kalinga students vie for 26 BFAR fisheries scholarship slots in Cordillera

TABUK CITY, Kalinga — Forty-eight students from Kalinga are competing for government scholarships that will cover part of their college education, following the qualifying examination for the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) Fisheries Scholarship Program (FSP) on October 10.

The applicants took the examination at the Provincial Fisheries Office in Bulanao, Tabuk City, hoping to qualify for financial assistance to pursue a four-year Bachelor of Science in Fisheries degree.

Across the Cordillera, 218 applicants took the examination, competing for only 26 scholarship slots, according to BFAR-Kalinga Officer-in-Charge Provincial Fishery Officer Clifford L. Fernandez.

Of the available slots, 20 are reserved for children of fisherfolk, three for children of fisheries industry leaders, and three for members of Indigenous Cultural Communities or Indigenous Peoples.

Qualified scholars will receive a monthly stipend of ₱5,000, a practicum allowance of ₱3,000, thesis assistance of ₱7,000, and graduation support of ₱1,500.

The program also offers incentives for academic achievement, including ₱50,000 for summa cum laude graduates, ₱30,000 for magna cum laude, and ₱20,000 for cum laude. The topnotcher in the Fisheries Licensure Examination will receive ₱50,000, while those placing second to 10th will each receive ₱20,000.

The scholarship has already helped produce licensed fisheries professionals from Kalinga, including cousins Ria Ongat Labbutan and Sunshine Ongat Iwad of Rizal, who passed the Fisheries Professionals Licensure Examination in October 2025.

Fernandez said Labbutan is now working at the BFAR-Cordillera Regional Office under a job-order arrangement, while Iwad is pursuing a master’s degree.

The results of the qualifying examination will determine which applicants will receive scholarship support for their college studies.