Six college freshmen at the Caramoan Community College are among the first scholarship grantees under the CRANE scholarship program during the current semester.
According to CRANE president Dominador Alarkon, Jr. the initial batch includes Richard Banastao of barangay Gota, Rea Alcantara (Solnopan), Arcelita Alvarez (Tabgon), Cindy Fernandez (Tawog), Mary Grace Rosario (Cadong) and Gina Ruiz (Oroc-osoc), all of Caramoan.
The grantees were recommended to the CRANE president by the scholarship committee headed by Romeo M. Borja after thorough evaluation. The committee includes Sofronio P. Altez, Ricardo Culvera and Ms. Nuni Capucao.
Under the criteria set by the committee, applicants should be first year college enrollees with grades of 85% or above upon graduation from high school and whose parents have difficulty sending them to college.
The applicants must be truly determined to finish their courses and should never use prohibited drugs or be involved in immoral acts. Failure to pass a subject would also be a basis for discontinuance of the scholarship grant.
One of the applicants given the nod was left by her father while she was yet a small child. He never returned.
The father of another applicant had lost one leg and her mother had to largely support the family doing odd jobs in the neighborhood.
Another applicant had waited too long to be able to enroll in college that she now is 25 years old. She has not, however, lost hope, that she could finish college especially with CRANE now coming to her rescue.
More CRANE scholars in schools in Naga City and other parts of the province will be known very soon, the CRANE scholarship committee said.
The CRANE scholarship program is funded by contributions from organization members and donations from Caramoanons living abroad. Congressman Luis R. Villafuerte also allocated P 100,000 from his Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) for the program.
