UP Manila sets June opening of health sciences campus in SoCot

The provincial government of South Cotabato is now urging interested students of the province to grab the opportunity to be one of the students of the University of the Philippines- Manila School of Health Sciences (UP-SHS) which is expected to open in June 2010 in the city of Koronodal.
During a recent orientation, Governor Daisy P. Avance Fuentes said the opening of the prestigious state university in the Philippines will also open great opportunities not only for the province but to other areas of SOCSKSARGEN region.
“We (provincial government) will assure interested students that we will help them start and finish their studies. We believe that after UP chose our region to be one of their extension campus, we can also prove our worth as a peace and developing region." Governor Fuentes said.
Proffesor Jusie Lydia Siega Sur, the UP dean of SHS said the school is expected to be built in Barangay Carpenter Hill, city of Koronodal after the provincial government land donated a four hectare land for the school. “We are now ready to accept applicants for admission to the school and interested students can contact us or send their application before march 29, 2010 to Director Amabel A. Ganzo, or Proffesor Zenaida C. Varona, UP Manila School of Health Science, Main Campus, Palo Leyte."
The goal of the school is to train midwives, nurses and doctors who will stay and serve in depressed and underserved areas of the Philippines rather than go abroad. Special privileges of a student in the UP-SHS include all students are "Iskolar nga Bayan." They do not take the UP College Admission Test which is very competitive, they will avail of free tuition and matriculation fees use of library facilities.
They will also have other scholarship benefits such us, monthly living subsidy, and lodging allowance, transportation allowance while on training, book allowance per quarter, uniforms, medical equipment, student council contributions, support during service leave and board examination which is the responsibility of the sponsoring local government unit/barangay/NGO. NGOs sponsoring scholarship at SHS will shoulder all the benefits/allowance of their scholars. Likewise the NGO shall shoulder all standard fees due to the University as stipulated in the MOA between them.
For interested students, a scholar must be high school graduate, preferably 16 to 25 years old upon admission, may have more than one year of college experience, if out of school youth, preferably for not more than 3 years. He or she must come from a depressed community in dire need of workers distant from health facilities. Parents and scholars are permanent residents of the community sending the scholar, the applicant must have a resided in the sending community for at least one year prior to the nomination.

He or she must be nominated by the community through a Barangay resolution signed by 75% of household heads. Family income of P80, 000.00 or lower, must be physically and mentally fit. He or she must be committed to stay and serve in underserved areas of their municipality/province/region. Outstanding BHW and traditional birth attendants are encouraged to be nominated. The applicant must be willing to sign a return service agreement of 2 years for every year of training.
News Article from: Kathleen Zabate-Turnos of SOUTH COTABATO Informant