Merry Christmas

Photograph Courtesy of Atelier Petillant

Merry Christmas & A Happy New Year!

Shouichi Yoshida Memorial Fund: Manuel Esguerra - IRRI

It gives us special pleasure that one of our former scholars now works for the International Rice Research Institute. We hope that his inspiring story will inspire you to pursue higher education in agriculture. Please go here to see if you qualify for the scholarship.

Samuel N. Anay - Department of Agriculture

Samuel N. Anay is a former Shouichi Yoshida Memorial Fund scholar. He finished his undergraduate studies in April 1998 and was hired by San Miguel Foods Incorporated, where he worked as a Farm Technician (poultry). He has also worked for Tricom Dynamics Incorporated (Toshiba Davao) as a Sales Executive, but moved on to his current post at the Department of Agriculture.

We, at the Shouichi Yoshida Memorial Fund, wish Samuel N. Anay all the best and hope that he will continue making valuable contributions in the field of agricultural science. We'd also like to thank him for taking the time to write us this letter, and hope that it will encourage other students to never give-up and never stop believing in themselves. We like to think that in some small way, we can all make a small contribution in making the world a better place.

For more information on how to apply for this scholarship, please go here.

PREP (Promoting Rural Education in the Philippines)

Today, I’d like to talk a bit about a group called PREP (Promoting Rural Education in the Philippines). This group was founded by a much loved former guidance counselor of the International School of Manila (ISM).

In 1992, a group called PREP was formed for the purpose of promoting education in the rural areas of the Philippines, and Vicky Herrera and ISM students have been working with public schools in Tagaytay ever since.

"We've been volunteering at different schools, and the ISM kids come-up with all sorts of lessons!" - Vicky Herrera

In addition to lessons on ecosystems, solar systems, continents and health, PREP has been donating books, shelves and other materials to the schools in Tagaytay. The unique thing about PREP is that instead of pretending to know what each school needs, it donates funds to schools so that they can decide what they need most, and the schools submit PREP with the receipts so that things can be kept above the board and transparent.

The donations have been used for anything from fixing leaking roofs to bringing electricity to the classrooms.

"In 1996, we went to Sungay School, and when ISM kids wanted to do a dance, we realized the school had no electricity so we couldn't plug the tape recorder in. " - Vicky Herrera

PREP raised 10,000 pesos to electrify the school, and it has made all the difference in the world. The classrooms that had been previously so dark that the children had difficulty seeing what was written on the blackboards were illuminated with light, and fans were installed to provide ventilation.

In 2011, the mayor built a new building for Sungay School. Although the facility is new, the school library has nothing except for worn out work books and an encyclopedia set that PREP donated to them previously. Currently donations are being collected from the alumni of the International School of Manila to make this space into a bilingual reading center.

"It will take a lot of work, as besides books, we need furniture and shelves, etc. But it's all starting to come together beautifully, thanks to wonderful alumni out there who want to help!! My ISM PREP group and I will be going to the Sungay School on October 26th, and they are busy making lesson plans and are thinking of all sorts of games..." - Vicky Herrera

Although it's impossible to solve all the problems of the world, we like to believe that helping a little bit will make a big difference for someone.

We, at the Shouichi Yoshida Memorial Fund, hope that some of these students will pursue a career in agriculture at any of the excellent universities of the Philippines and look forward to supporting them. For more information please go here.

Messages for UN Women in Pictures

These photographs were featured in The Guardian. The first photograph is of a woman holding a handwritten sign that says: 'Let me spell it out: Literacy is the key to gender equality'. The last photograph is a handwritten sign that says: 'Education is the ultimate weapon'.

Although these photographs are part of a campaign related to the launch of UN Women, it should be noted that these two quotes hold true for both men and women. The Shouichi Memorial Fund believes that higher education is the real key to opening-up opportunities for those who come from economically challenged families.

We believe this to be true, especially in view of the recent increases in tuition for universities, in a world where salaries especially in lower income households have remained frozen or have even decreased. There was rioting in the streets of London in December 2010, and more than 150 people were arrested. Sweden declared that starting in autumn of this 2011, non-EU citizens must pay tuition to attend university in Sweden. The sum went from nothing to 100,000 Kronor ($15,625).

Who is eligible for this scholarship?

The Shouichi Yoshida Memorial Scholarship (SYMS) shall be granted to students of any nationality, coming from economically handicapped families and gifted intellectually. The field of specialization shall be agriculture and the fellowship shall be restricted to the first university degree to be operated only in institutes in the Philippines.

Scholarship Grant

Full scholarship offers a stipend of P2,000 per month for 10 months per school year for students from the University of the Philippines at Los Baños plus tuition, matriculation and miscellaneous school fees; P1,800 per month for 10 months per school year for students from other agricultural universities in the Philippines plus tuition, matriculation and miscellaneous school fees.

Scholarship Requirement

Qualifications

• Scholastically promising
• Economically needy
• Field of specialization: agriculture
• Proficient in English
• Should pass the UPCAT and NSAT exams
• Of good moral character

Basis of selection and relative weight of each

• Financial/economic condition
• Secondary/high school grades
• English proficiency
• UPCAT and NSAT exams

Financial condition

Local applicants

Family income of P900 and below 40 points
Family income of P901- P1100 30 points
Family income of P1101-P1300 20 points
Family income of P1301-P1500 10 points
Family income of P1501 and above 0 points


Foreign applicants

The financial condition needs to be certified by a government agency/institute in applicant’s country. This institute will likewise determine the standard of living in this particular country specifically the area where the applicant comes from. Information on the occupations and salaries of parents, brothers and sisters of the applicant will also be determined.

Grades
High school honor graduate or belonging to the upper 5% of the graduating class.

The educational standard of the applicant’s country shall be considered. Through the country’s education agency/institution, the UPCAT exam shall be given to the applicant.

Supporting papers needed

• Application form previously filled up and signed
• Photocopy of secondary school grades or transcript of records
• Certification from the school’s principal that the applicant belongs to the upper 5% of the graduating class if not an honor student or is an honor student.
• Results of UPCAT and NSAT exams
• Results of English proficiency exam
• Certification of financial status from the state or photocopy of income returns of preceding year
• One page typewritten essay on the topic: Why do you want to study agriculture and what benefits do you expect from it for yourself and your country?

Requirements for Maintaining the Scholarship

• The grantee shall get a weighted average of at least 2.5 from at least 15 academic units per semester with no grades below 2.75 in both academic and non-academic subjects.
• The grantee shall submit his grades to the scholarship committee at the end of each semester, within one week after the final examination period, for evaluation.
• The grantee shall consult the designated adviser and the committee regarding plans for dropping a subject. The committee reserves the right to approve or disapprove dropping of subjects. The grantee will not be allowed to retain less than 15 academic units during a semester, except during the grantee’s last semester in college.
• The grantee shall not transfer to another school or college, nor change course, without consultation with and approval of the scholarship committee.
• The grant will be enjoyed for a period of 5 years or until the grantee graduates, whichever is shorter.
• The grantee shall automatically lose his scholarship, should he fail to meet the grade and number of credit requirement.

After graduation, the grantee is requested to keep the committee informed of his intellectual pursuits and progress once every 2-3 years.

Please contact: Ms. Anilyn Maningas (amaningas@irri.org or irritraining@irri.org should you wish to apply.