Providing opportunities in education is one of
the best ways to attain social and economic
progress. The SIKAT Program, EDC’s end-to-end
support for qualified marginalized Filipino youth,
encompasses scholarships, mentoring support,
scholars’ engagement activities, and career
placement after graduation. Qualified students can
choose from academic, technical vocation, and
skill-based scholarship grants. In contrast with other
scholarships, the SIKAT grants put the scholars’
interests, abilities, and capacities first, regardless of
track.
EDC believes in investing in education and uplifting
the youth to break generational poverty. Through
education, we can harness future changemakers
and nation builders. In 2021, we had 120 SIKAT
scholars enrolled in various campuses of the
University of the Philippines (UP) and other state
universities and colleges. It is also worth noting that
10 of these scholars were funded by fundraising
activities and the Adopt-a-Scholar initiative of the
EDC employees, launched in September 2021.
Through SIKAT, we ensure our scholars are
workforce-ready through job-preparedness
webinars and job placements. From the 2021
and 2020 batches, 10 out of 13 graduates are
currently employed, with one presently working in
an EDC-supported organization. Further, four out of
seven graduates from our 2018 and 2019 batches
who became unemployed due to the COVID-19
pandemic are now working with EDC as well.
In addition, EDC has commenced its career internship
program abroad in partnership with the Counselors
for Immigration and International Studies (CIS). The
program aims to equip our scholars further as they
work towards their regenerative future. Together
with CIS, a qualified SIKAT scholar will be given
a chance to intern and learn from host schools
and educational sponsors in the USA, Canada,
Australia, Germany, and New Zealand.
Renato Bueno, CIS President and CEO, said it had
been his long-time goal to help Filipino students as
he is committed to the belief that the next generation
is the country’s hope. He said the primary purpose
of CIS is to give Filipinos opportunities for a better
life, and one of the keys to this better life is through
education and employment opportunities.
EDC also collaborated with the Department of
Education (DepEd) and 48 partner schools and
institutions, together with the National Bookstore
Foundation, to give out notebooks, pad papers,
writing instruments, and crayons to 14,790 students.
In addition, EDC launched the MakiPAPEL donation
drive through SIKAT fundraising to help elementary
school students receive their learning modules. The
activity raised PHP 144,028, which provided 800
reams of bond paper in 74 partner schools.
In December 2021, EDC held the SIKAT Christmas
Basket Donation Drive that generated PHP 149,000
for the scholars — wherein PHP 96,000 was used to
purchase Christmas food baskets for their families,
and the remaining PHP 53,000 was allocated to the
SIKAT scholarship fund.
On our Ilocos Norte site, 862 Samsung tablets were
also donated to the provincial government through
EDC Burgos Windpower Corporation to assist the
students in online classes.