The UP Foundation, Inc. (UPFI) and the Co Family recently signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) formally establishing the Rosalinda Gan Ne Choa Scholarship Grant.
This scholarship is intended for UP Diliman (UPD) students enrolled in an undergraduate degree under the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics strand, and not yet a beneficiary of another private scholarship.
“On behalf of my siblings and the entire family, we appreciate the opportunity to be able to give back to UP Foundation. To be able to support a scholarship grant for deserving students,” said Christine Co, who signed the MOA on behalf of her family. She is also an alumna of UPD’s industrial engineering program.
Co narrated how her parents, though both unable to finish college, emphasized the importance of education, and expressed a desire to help financially challenged students to finish their undergraduate degree.
This latest scholarship grant is another way the Co family honors their parents and keeps their legacy alive. Another scholarship grant in honor of Co’s patriarch, Joseph Co Liong Han, was also established a few years ago.
“It is more than just a financial assistance. This is a symbol of hope, a recognition of potential, a lasting tribute to the values of hard work and dedication exemplified by Ms. Christine Co’s parents,” the UPD Office of Scholarships and Grants (OSG) said during the event’s introduction. OSG is the office that will manage and administer the scholarship.
“We are deeply grateful to the Co Family for entrusting UP with their vision of empowering students in the field of science and technology. This generous endowment ensures that deserving scholars will have the opportunity to pursue their academic dreams,” the OSG added.
In a message, UP President Angelo A. Jimenez said the donation of the Co Family is deeply appreciated, adding that financial assistance for students is still very welcome to augment the free tuition program of the national government.
“To the Co Family, there is no such thing as a humble donation. Every donation, every peso counts. Because it is not the amount, it is the spirit that makes you UP. Every time you help one student, even for just a day, you are advancing the UP spirit. You are advancing the UP mission. Any amount goes a long way,” Jimenez said.
He explained that although students do not pay tuition, some of them need financial support for their day-to-day life in campus, which may include food, accommodation, clothing, school materials, and cellular load, among others.
Present for the MOA signing were other members of the Co Family, UPFI Executive Director Edgardo D. Atanacio, UP Assistant Vice President for Academic Affairs (Student Affairs) Ma. Shari Niña G. Oliquino, UPD Office of Student Housing (OSH) Officer-in-Charge Marielle Antoinette H. Zosa representing the UPD Office of Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs, and OSG staff. The MOA signing was held on Nov. 29 at the UP Board of Regents Room at the Quezon Hall.
