BY GIO TANUDTANUD
THE NEW Zealand ambassador encouraged more people from Mindanao to avail themselves of the ongoing scholarship to further their education and also experience another culture in another country at the same time.
Hon. Peter Kell said the Manaaki New Zealand Scholarship is an excellent opportunity, for Muslims and Indigenous Peoples in the country, especially since they are more focused on Mindanao this year.
During the press conference at NCCC Victoria Plaza on Jan. 26, he said their renewed focus was their way to support the Mindanao peace as part of the development partnership between the two countries.
“Our development partnership has very clear focus on supporting the peace process and therefore that’s why Mindanao becomes so much more important to us,” he said
Last year, Kell and Dyan Rodriguez, IDC Manager of New Zealand International Development Cooperation, started raising awareness for the Maanaki Scholarships in Davao City.
Seven of the 14 Filipino post-graduates qualified in 2024 are from Mindanao. The two officials hope that more than 60% of scholars next year will come from the region.
The Manaaki scholarship aims to help post-graduate Filipino students with academic opportunities in enrolling in New Zealand’s universities by providing them with world-class education and beneficiaries for scholars to be better equipped with skills and experience in helping build prosperity, security, and sustainable growth in the Philippines.
One of the Mindanaoan scholars, Maurice Lennon Ondoy, who will go to the Auckland University of Technology, said they are fully funded, including allowance for daily needs, and medical insurance.
“The focus actually of the scholarship is for you to study and apply these skills upon your return to the Philippines,” he said.
