TACLOBAN CITY — Two students from Eastern Samar have been granted full college scholarships under the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Regional Office 8’s Workers’ Organization Development Program (WODP) – Isabelo Delos Reyes (IDR) Scholarship, reaffirming the agency’s commitment to supporting the families of organized workers through education.
The scholarship awardees are James Nathaniel Celada and Joefrey Laurence Tanqui-on, both endorsed by their parents’ respective labor organizations. Celada’s mother serves as president of the Divinubo Community-Based Resource Management Association, while Tanqui-on’s father heads the Pedicab Drivers and Operators Association.
During the awarding ceremony, DOLE-8 Assistant Regional Director Atty. Joan Noya-Nidua commended the scholars for their determination to pursue higher education, saying, “We are deeply proud to invest in your future. You will not only achieve for yourselves but also serve as an inspiration to your families and communities.”
Under the WODP-IDR scholarship, grantees receive full coverage of tuition and school fees, along with a monthly stipend for up to 10 consecutive semesters for degree courses or two years for technical-vocational programs.
Celada, a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering student, expressed gratitude for the assistance, saying the scholarship has eased his family’s financial burden and allowed him to focus on his studies. Tanqui-on, who is taking up Bachelor of Science in Criminology, shared that the scholarship motivates him to work harder toward his goal of becoming a law enforcement professional.
The awarding ceremony was also attended by DOLE-8 Eastern Samar Field Office Head Salvacion Yepez and Senior Labor and Employment Officer Neil Moraleta, who both lauded the students for their perseverance and commitment to learning despite challenges.
The WODP-IDR Scholarship Program honors labor leader Isabelo delos Reyes, known as the “Father of Philippine Labor,” and continues to provide educational opportunities to qualified dependents of workers belonging to legitimate labor organizations, strengthening the link between education and workers’ empowerment.
(ROEL T. AMAZONA)
