CHED RO V

CHED Bicol Strengthens Scholarship Information Campaign Through e-TANONG, AI Innovation, and Community Outreach

LEGAZPI CITY, July 16, 2026 — Access to higher education begins with access to information.

Guided by this principle, the Commission on Higher Education Regional Office V (CHED Bicol) has intensified its scholarship information dissemination campaign through a combination of community engagement, digital innovation, mass media partnerships, and stakeholder dialogue—culminating in the successful conduct of the Project e-TANONG Online Scholarship Forum on July 16.

The online forum brought together students, parents, higher education institutions, guidance counselors, and other stakeholders in an open and interactive discussion on the government’s various scholarship and financial assistance programs, including the Tertiary Education Subsidy (TES), Tulong Dunong Program (TDP), Bagong Pilipinas Merit Scholarship Program, CHED Merit Scholarship Program, Medical Scholarship and Return Service (MSRS) Program, and other Student Financial Assistance Programs (StuFAPs).

Participants were given the opportunity to raise questions on eligibility, application procedures, documentary requirements, benefits, and program implementation, allowing concerns to be addressed directly by CHED Bicol personnel.

For CHED Bicol Regional Director Dr. Demetrio P. Anduyan, Jr., making scholarship information readily available is just as important as making scholarship grants available.

“Every scholarship is a promise of hope. But hope can only be realized when opportunities are clearly understood and easily accessed. Our responsibility goes beyond administering scholarship programs—we must ensure that information reaches every learner, every family, and every community. No deserving Bicolano student should miss an educational opportunity simply because they did not know where to ask or how to apply.”

Project e-TANONG is one component of CHED Bicol’s broader communication strategy that seeks to bring government services closer to the people through multiple platforms and innovative approaches.

One of its major milestones was the introduction of DASH (Digital Assistance for Scholarship Help), CHED Bicol’s artificial intelligence-powered virtual assistant launched a year ago to provide immediate responses to scholarship-related inquiries. Accessible online, DASH has enabled students, parents, and partner institutions to receive accurate and timely information on scholarship qualifications, documentary requirements, application processes, and frequently asked questions, making government assistance more responsive and readily available.

Recognizing that not all learners access information through digital platforms, CHED Bicol likewise expanded its community-based information campaign.

Earlier this year, the Regional Office conducted the Project PEPA (Patuloy sa Edukasyon, Patuloy sa Pag-ahon) Caravan in four strategic areas across the Bicol Region, bringing scholarship orientation directly to graduating senior high school students and their families. This was complemented by Project ACCESS, another initiative aimed at increasing public awareness of higher education opportunities and government educational assistance.

To further widen its reach, scholarship and grants-in-aid information tarpaulins were installed in major seaports throughout the region, ensuring that even learners from island municipalities and geographically isolated communities have access to essential scholarship information while traveling.

CHED Bicol also maximized television, radio, print, and online media as partners in public service. Throughout the year, Regional Director Anduyan, together with scholarship focal persons from the UniFAST and Student Financial Assistance Programs units, participated in numerous media interviews to explain scholarship policies, clarify public concerns, and encourage qualified learners to pursue higher education through available government support.

Project e-TANONG itself was spearheaded by the Management Information System (MIS) Unit, led by Ms. Marilou B. Llorando, in close collaboration with the UniFAST Unit headed by Dr. Ma. Pamela Sorra Viñas and the Student Financial Assistance Programs (StuFAPs) Unit, represented by Ms. Cyrill Badiola. Their coordinated efforts ensured that participants received accurate, comprehensive, and timely responses throughout the online forum.

Coinciding with the activity was the official launch of CHED Bicol’s Back-to-School Music Video, a creative initiative that warmly welcomed college learners as higher education institutions across the region opened another academic year. The music video celebrates the resilience, aspirations, and limitless potential of Bicolano students while reinforcing CHED Bicol’s commitment to accompany them throughout their educational journey.

Director Anduyan emphasized that development communication is not merely about disseminating information but about empowering people to make informed decisions that can change their lives.

“Information is opportunity. Every question answered is a barrier removed. Every learner informed is another dream empowered. Through technology, community engagement, and strong partnerships with the media, CHED Bicol will continue bringing government closer to the people, ensuring that no deserving student is left behind in the pursuit of quality higher education.”

By integrating digital technologies, community outreach, strategic communication, and stakeholder participation, CHED Bicol continues to strengthen an inclusive information ecosystem where scholarship opportunities become more visible, more understandable, and more accessible to every Bicolano learner—advancing its mission of building institutions as champions of optimum lifelong learning while inspiring every student to Make It Big, Make It Bicol.