Revised Guidelines on the ACEF Scholarship Program

April 27, 2012

DA ADMINISTRATIVE ORDER NO. 17-12

 

WHEREAS, Congress enacted into law R.A. 9496, otherwise known as "An Act to Extend the Utilization of the Agricultural Competitiveness Enhancement Fund amending R.A. 8178 entitled 'An Act Replacing Quantitative Restrictions on Agricultural Products, Except Rice, with Tariffs, Creating the Agricultural Competitiveness Enhancement Fund, and for Other Purposes;'" IDCScA

WHEREAS, section 8 of RA 9496 states that ten percent (10%) of the fund shall be set aside and earmarked for funding of a comprehensive scholarship program for agriculture, forestry, fishery, and veterinary medicine education;

WHEREAS, in order to ensure that this program can cater to the various stakeholders in the agriculture and fishery sector, there is a need to widen the scope, partners and beneficiaries of the comprehensive scholarship program under ACEF;

WHEREAS, the Congressional Oversight Committee on Agricultural and Fisheries Modernization (COCAFM) in its Resolution No. 02 dated 13 October 2011, has resolved to include the Masters in Rural Development Degree (MRD) Program that will be provided by the Education Consortium for Rural Development with the Ateneo School of Government (ASoG), University of the Philippines-Diliman (Specifically the College of Social Work & Community Development and the Diliman Interactive Learning Center), Xavier University and the Development Academy of the Philippines (DAP) as a lead school.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, PROCESO J. ALCALA, SECRETARY OF THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, do hereby order that what follows is the updated version of AO No. 9 through amendment by substitution.

SECTION I

General Framework

A. Declaration of Policy

Consistent with the provision of the DA Administrative No. 19, Series of 2009, this issuance maintains the thrust of being supportive of the goal of the national economy for a more equitable distribution of opportunities, income and wealth; a sustained increase in the mount of goods and services produced by the nation for the benefit of the people; and an expanding productivity as the key in raising the quality of life for all especially the underprivileged. HSTCcD

B. Clientele

B.1. Applicant taking college degree and/or post-secondary courses

Incoming college, post-secondary and returning students in participating State Universities and Colleges (SUCs), Technical Education and Skills Development authority (TESDA)-managed or supervised education and training institutions and private educational institutions offering agriculture, fishery and forestry and other courses useful to agriculture and fisheries development.

B.2. Applicant taking Masters Degree Program

The middle management, program/technical staff or field personnel of the Department to include interested and qualified participants from the other key actors in rural development such as the Local Government Units (LGUs), the NGOs and POs, Private and Public Agricultural Enterprises and Development.

C. Source of Fund/Fund Allocation

Ten percent (10%) of the total available funds in Special Fund 183 upon effective of this AO.

D. Implementation Scheme

D.1. Applicant taking college degree and/or post-secondary courses

Regional Allocation or By Demand/Number of Interested Scholars per Region. The concerned SUCs/institutions will enter into a Memorandum of Agreement with the DA-ACEF Execom. Funds will be downloaded to the SUCs/institutions upon effectivity of the MOA and availability of funds as released by the Department of Budget and Management subject to accounting and audit rules and regulations.

D.2. Applicant taking Masters Degree Program

The mode of delivery will be through Blended Learning or combining Face-to-Face with Online Learning. The blended approach combines the social benefits of face-to-face learning with the flexibility of distance education which will allow the students to engage in a work-study scheme wherever they are based. AIHTEa

Payments will be based on the number of employee/scholars and the expenses to be incurred by the Educational Consortium for Rural Development (ECRD) with DAP as the lead school in implementing the MRD.

E. Participating School

E.1. Applicant taking college degree and/or post-secondary courses

Any SUC and TESDA-managed and supervised education and training institutions and private educational institutions offering degree, diploma and certificate courses in agriculture, fishery and forestry and other courses useful and/or complementary to agriculture and fisheries development.

E.2. Applicant taking Masters Degree Program

Education Consortium for Rural Development with the Ateneo School of Government (ASoG), University of the Philippines-Diliman (Specifically the College of Social Work & Community Development and the Diliman Interactive Learning Center), Xavier University and the Development Academy of the Philippines (DAP) as a lead school.

F. Area of Specialization

1. Bachelor of Science in Agriculture;

2. Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Chemistry;

3. Bachelor of Science in Food Technology under the College of Agriculture;

4. Bachelor of Science in Economics;

5. Bachelor of Science in Agribusiness Management;

6. Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Engineering;

7. Doctor of Veterinary Medicine;

8. Bachelor of Science in Fisheries;

9. Bachelor of Science in Forestry; aESTAI

10. Other Agriculture related degree courses;

11. Diploma and certificate courses in agriculture, fishery and forestry and other courses useful to agriculture and fisheries development;

12. Biotech and/or other cutting edge technology courses; and

13. Masters in Public Management Major in Rural Development.

G. Eligibility Requirements

G.1. Applicant taking college degree and/or post-secondary courses must possess the following qualifications:

1. The student must be a Filipino citizen;

2. Incoming college, post-secondary, returning students, and other qualified and interested applicant;

3. He/She intends to enroll at any SUC's, TESDA-managed and supervised post-secondary education and training institutions and private institutions offering degree, diploma and certificate courses in agriculture, fishery and forestry and other courses useful and/or complementary to agriculture and fisheries development.

4. He/She must be in need of financial assistance; and

5. He/She must not be a recipient of any government scholarship grant of similar nature.

G.2. MPM-RD applicants shall signify his/her interest to avail of the program through a letter of intent together with the basic qualification requirements set by the Civil Service Commission as well as the following:

a) Not more than fifty (50) years old at the time of nomination;

b) Must be computer literate specifically with basic skill on using common word and numerical processing software and in e-mailing; DSTCIa

c) Must pass the Agency requirements and schools admission processes;

d) Must hold a permanent technical position and must be currently performing duties and responsibilities relevant to the field of study being applied for;

e) Nominees who previously availed of any scholarship, fellowship, training or study grant should have completed the service requirement as provided for in the scholarship service contract and have submitted the required reports pertaining such scholarship;

f) Applicant must not have been a delinquent scholar of a previous scholarship;

g) Must have rendered at least two (2) years in the Department/Agency, bureau and/or attached agency/office as a permanent employee;

h) Must not be enjoying/holding any other scholarship/grant/nomination (local or foreign) at the time of nomination;

i) Must not have been awarded any local/foreign degree or non-degree (i.e., at least three (3) months training) grants immediately preceding the application for scholarships;

j) Must have no pending administrative and/or criminal case;

k) Must have no pending nomination/application for scholarship under another program/course;

l) Must have been rated at least Very Satisfactory (VS) for two (2) consecutive periods immediately preceding the nomination;

m) Should be nominated by the respective Agency's Scholarship Committee and shall be endorsed by the Agency Head;

n) In the absence of interested/qualified permanent employee, non-permanent including but not limited to casual, job/order/detailed and project-based contractual employee applicant shall be accepted provided that he/she complies with the following additional conditions: SaETCI

(i) He/She has rendered at least three (3) consecutive years of service;

(ii) In any case that the grantee's contract is not renewed, he/she must still finish the course program and must render the required service obligation in any government office as stipulated in the Deed of Undertakings.

H. Documentary Requirements

H.1. Applicant taking college degree and/or post-secondary courses shall comply with the following:

1. Duly accomplished application form and/or letter of intent to avail the program;

2. One (1) copy of passport size picture with signature over printed name at the back;

3. If applicable, income tax returns (including attached BIR Form W-2) of parents/legal guardian. Or, For those who are tax exempt, submit a certificate of exemption from BIR stating the annual gross income. Or, If parents/legal guardian/spouse is retired submit a retirement and/or pension voucher. Or, Certificate of Indigence from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) in lieu of the ITR;

4. A Certification from the Local Government Unit (LGU);

5. Form 137 from 1st Year up to the 4th year 2nd quarter or Clearance from the school.

H.2. Applicant taking Masters Degree Program are required to comply with the basic qualification requirements set by the Civil Service Commission (CSC) and the implementing agency. TcHCIS

SECTION II

Procedures

A. Application Process

A.1. Applicant taking college degree and/or post-secondary courses 

The selection, approval and endorsement of scholars will be performed by the partner SUCs.

A.2. Applicant taking Masters Degree Program

MPM-RD qualified applicants shall be endorsed by its respective Head of Agency/Bureaus, NGOs and POs, LGUs, Private and Public Enterprises and Development. List of employees/scholars who passed the pre-qualification/completed its documentary requirements by the National Convergence Secretariat shall be endorsed to the DA ACEF Scholarship Secretariat for funding and approval.

B. Assistance Included in the Program

1. School Fees — full amount of tuition and other school fees;

2. Student Stipend — maximum of P4,000.00 per month; and

3. P3,000.00 for book allowance and other course requirements of diploma and certificate courses in TESDA-managed and supervised institutions.

Stipend and book allowance shall be granted depending on the proposal of applicant and approval by the ACEF Execom.

C. Obligations of the Scholarship Grantee

Each grantee shall continue to enjoy his/her scholarship until graduation from the participating schools provided he/she meets the following obligations:

a. Must maintain a GPA of 2.50 every semester;

b. Must not have any failing grades;

c. Must not drop any subject; DSCIEa

d. Must take the full semestral load;

e. Must not be subjected to disciplinary action carrying a penalty of one month suspension or more;

f. Must not be convicted of any administrative and criminal charges;

g. Must participate in agricultural and fishery community service such as service to farmers, livestock raisers and fisher folks under the SUC agriculture and fishery extension program either as part of field research or an Adopt-a-Farm, Adopt-a-Fishfarm, Adopt-a-Forest Program of the SUC Extension Office; and

h. Must enter into a contract of agreement with the government to render service (for every year of full scholarship the scholar shall serve two years in the government).

The enjoyment by the grantee of his scholarship shall automatically and completely terminate under any of the following grounds:

a. He/She fails to meet the above stated academic requirements;

b. He/She abandons or relinquishes his/her study grant;

c. He/She fails to enroll or drops his/her courses in any semester, provided that if his/her non-enrolment or dropping of courses is due to a disabling sickness, the continuation of his/her scholarship program will be considered on a case to case basis by the DA-ACEF-Execom and the participating school;

d. He/She shifts to another course other than those specified by this agreement;

e. He/She is found guilty of grave misconduct or misdemeanour in accordance with the existing participating school policies, rules and regulations.

The participating schools shall require each scholar to sign a Deed of Undertaking, specifying the duties and obligations of each student granted a scholarship under the DA-ACEF Scholarship Program, to wit:

a. The scholar should finish the degree program within the period stipulated in the Deed of Undertaking; SaIACT

b. The scholar will refund the total amount that was spent for him/her by the DA-ACEF Scholarship Program in the event he/she fails to complete and finish the degree program within the period specified in his/her Deed of Undertaking;

c. The scholar shall render service to the Government immediately after finishing the degree program for which he/she was granted a scholarship for such period of time to be specified in the Deed of Undertaking which should not be less than Two (2) Years for every full year of scholarship. Should the scholar fail to render the required period of government service, he/she will be required to refund the total amount spent for his/her scholarship.

d. Participating schools shall remit to DA-ACEF the amount refunded by the scholars who failed to finish the degree program and/or failed to render the required government service.

e. In addition to the above duties and obligations, MPM-RD grantee's Deed of Undertakings shall/must:

(i) Be signed by his/her assigned co-maker or guarantor witnessed by the supervisor or Head of Agency;

(ii) Maintain a minimum passing grade in all subjects set by the degree granting institutions;

(iii) Not engage in any work for pay or accept other forms of scholarship or fellowship during the scholarship period without the consent of the Agency Concerned;

(iv) Be allowed by the supervisor to attend all required face to face sessions of the course;

(v) Submit the following:

• Action/re-entry plan shall be an integral part of the Action Plan Paper/Rural Development Innovation Report (APP/RDIR); ACcHIa

• Seven (7) Hard copies of the APP/RDIR, five (5) copies to the DAP-ASoG and two (2) copies to the Department/Agency; and

• Original copy of the Transcript and photocopy of Diploma shall be submitted to the Department/Agency after the completion of schooling.

D. Mode of Payment

The DA-ACEF Execom shall directly pay the school (for the tuition and other school fees) upon receipt of the billing statements, deductible from the total fund transferred to the SUCs/institutions.

The other financial assistance (monthly stipend and book or technical/vocational course requirement allowance) to grantees shall be given by ACEF on a monthly basis through payroll or ATM whichever is applicable.

For the thesis grant, it will be given to the grantee upon enrollment of the thesis.

For the non-thesis grant, it will be given upon the start of the on-the-job training.

E. Implementation Schedule for the Scholarship

1. Information dissemination

2. Selection of Scholars thru the SUCs. For the Masters Degree, concerned and/or implementing agency shall do the selection.

3. Monitoring and evaluation of scholars' performance. CTacSE

SECTION III

Effectivity

All other provisions of the DA Administrative Order (AO) No. 09, Series of 2009 as amended by DA AO No. 13, Series of 2011 "Guidelines on the Agricultural Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (ACEF) Scholarship Program" shall remain in full force and effect unless specifically revised herein. Thus, the ACEF National Technical Secretariat is hereby advised to review the existing Guidelines on the Scholarship Fund to conform to the revisions contained herein.

This order shall take effect immediately.

(SGD.) PROCESO J. ALCALASecretaryDepartment of Agriculture