Scholars under the Cebu Province Grants Intended for Tertiary Students (CP-Gifts) program are urgently appealing to the Provincial Government to resolve severe delays in the release of their monthly stipends. Many have been waiting for their allowances for the 2024 and 2025 semesters, causing significant financial hardship during critical academic periods.
Administrative Bottlenecks Cause Widespread Delays
Students report that the delays, ranging from five months to a full year, are attributed to a cascade of administrative issues. Scholars cited reasons given by CP-Gifts focal persons, including lack of budget, pending signatures from approving authorities, changes in leadership, and batch-based payroll processing. The situation is compounded by a system where the submission of grades is collated by district, potentially holding up payments for an entire group if one student is late.
"If one student is late, everyone ends up waiting. There has got to be a better system," one scholar told SunStar Cebu. Another student revealed they were told the payroll was ready but could not be disbursed, adding to the frustration.
Financial Strain During Critical Academic Phases
The impact of these delays is most acute during thesis writing and on-the-job training (OJT) periods, when school-related expenses accumulate. Each CP-Gifts beneficiary is entitled to a monthly stipend of P2,000, amounting to P10,000 per semester, which is deposited into Landbank ATM accounts. For many, this money is essential for daily allowances, transportation, and covering graduation costs.
"The long waiting period has a real impact because many of us depend on this for daily allowances, transportation, and especially for graduating students, the situation is even heavier," explained a pre-medical student who requested anonymity. A fourth-year Education student added, "We have been waiting for our allowance for a year now."
Calls for Governor's Intervention and Systemic Reform
Scholars are now directly calling on Governor Pamela Baricuatro to intervene and establish a clear, systematic, and timely process for the release of funds. They emphasize that transparency and clearer communication about budgeting timelines and approval processes would greatly reduce anxiety and build trust.
"We are calling on Governor Pamela Baricuatro to intervene because the welfare of the scholars should be at the center of the conversation, as we -- the scholars -- are the primary stakeholders," one student stated. Another scholar appealed, "To Governor Pam, I know you have many responsibilities... but please hear our cries for help."
As the holiday season approaches, scholars express a mix of hope and anxiety. Some view the long-overdue allowance as a potential Christmas gift, hoping to receive at least two semesters' worth of stipends. SunStar Cebu sought comments from Fifth District Board Member Mike Villamor and Assistant Provincial Administrator Aldwin Empaces, but no response was received at the time of writing.
