NEW ZEALAND Honorary Consul for Mindanao Vicente Lao said the Manaaki Scholarship Program aims to admit more Mindanaoan scholars.
“This year, I was informed that about 50% of the scholars will come from Mindanao,” Lao said during the Hukad Business Forum at Ayala Malls Abreeza on Friday.
Lao said they pushed for more scholars coming from Mindanao in the previous New Zealand ambassadors to the Philippines, and now it has been fully implemented.
“I said we need to give a little push to our brother Muslims, because sometimes the quality of the education in ARMM at that time is not comparable to the studies that we have in La Salle and Ateneo,” he said.
“Now that it is implemented, we are getting more and more scholars from Mindanao,” he added.
For 2024 scholars, 14 out of 16 scholarships went to applicants from Mindanao, as it is the priority region for the NZ development agenda.
“Mindanao, being the food basket, should be given more priority in terms of scholarships in agriculture and tourism,” Lao stressed.
In a national interview, New Zealand ambassador Catherine Mcintosh said that from 16 slots last year, the program will now offer 44 available slots for Filipinos.
This is after both countries have elevated their ties to a comprehensive partnership come 2026.
Funded through the New Zealand International Development Cooperation (IDC) Programme, the scholarship offers the opportunity to pursue Master’s or PhD studies in New Zealand.
Its support includes full tuition, living expenses, establishment allowance, medical and travel insurance, and a round-trip airfare between the Philippines and New Zealand.
The scholarship, however, has a return service component, where once a scholar graduates, they must render service to their community for two years. The focus areas of study include renewable energy, good governance, climate resilience, and food security.
