ILOCOS NORTE

Governor Imee R. Marcos through the Ilocos Norte Youth Office (INYO, formerly Sirib Youth Office) and the Provincial Education Department (PED) distributed stipends to 1,103 Sirib scholars at the Mariano Marcos State University (MMSU)−Batac Campus Covered Court last Saturday, March 19.

There are three types of scholarships under the program: the Sirib Academic Scholarship, Sirib Young Leadership Scholarship, and Sirib Community Leadership Scholarship. The former two provide a monthly stipend and tuition fee, while the latter provides a fixed stipend every semester for beneficiaries.

This year, the program yielded a total of 21 graduates with Latin honors: 20 cum laude and one magna cum laude, Marck Anthony J. Ranga, an accountancy student at MMSU and rank two of the university's graduating class.

Aside from maintaining a certain general weighted average, Sirib scholars exemplify youth involvement, as beneficiaries are required to serve 50 hours of community service per semester. Many are members of the Sirib Ilokano Kabataan Association (SIKA), an organization of youth volunteers who assist the Provincial Government of Ilocos Norte (PGIN) in delivering its services.

Gov. Marcos expressed her pride in Ilocano youth, "It's been a real blockbuster year for Ilocos Norte, at haping-happy nga ako na talaga namang lahat ay maraming award,” noting how a lot of awardees during the Sirib Youth Awards 2016 last February were provincial government scholars.

She was also referring to the Galing Pook Award conferred last September 2015 to the Sirib Express, PGIN's flagship program for the youth and the earliest version of INYO, an official Capitol youth department, "Kaya tuwang-tuwa ako, hindi lang Galing Pook, kundi ‘Galing Kabataan’—nalaing a talaga (magaling talaga). So, thank you very much."

The Galing Pook Awards is an annual, nationwide search for the best local governance programs spearheaded by the Department of Local and Interior Governance (DILG).

She reassured, "We are one family indeed that will seek to help you as best we can. Hindi naman kaming nangangako na lahat kakayanin, pero lahat tayo, sabay-sabay, talaga naman, amin-amin (lahat-lahat), nagkakaisa… Gagawan natin ng paraan na makakapagtapos ang bawat matalino, masipag, nalaing nga estudyante (magaling na estudyante) dito sa Ilocos Norte."

Also present was Gov. Marcos' son, Mr. Matthew M. Manotoc, who is the Provincial Sports and Youth Affairs Coordinator.

PGIN has shouldered over 3,000 college scholarships in a bid to empower the youth and human capital of Ilocos Norte, accompanied by efforts for job creation which increased the provincial employment rate from 3% to 50.78% in early 2016.

Gov. Marcos told the scholars, "The future is in your hands, and in your good hands, the future is safe, secure, and progressive."