Eight law students and one studying medicine comprise the latest batch of scholars under the Catanduanes Medical and Law Scholars Program (CMLSP), with the group presented to the public last week at the Capitol lobby.
The lone medicine scholar, Dwight Martin A. Camacho, joined law students Maria Alyssa Torres, Jerome T. Taopo, Arjim G. Ruiz, Fritze Anne P. Cristobal, Jona Mae F. Camacho, Ariane Joyce T. Añonuevo, Georgette V. Vitalicio and Nikko Franco B. Templonuevo in signing their respective memorandum of agreement with the provincial government, represented by Governor Joseph Cua.
In his message, the chief executive recalled how he witnessed first-hand the financial strain that pursuing higher education puts on families, citing that when the Free Higher Education Act passed, the opportunity to help students pursuing degrees in Law and Medicine provided the avenue for his administration to craft the CMLS program.
“The Catanduanes Medical and Law Scholarship Program, continues to support and inspire deserving students to chase their dreams of becoming doctors and lawyers … my dear friends, in my years of public service, I have had the privilege of meeting people from all walks of life. And I must say that these interactions have further supported my belief that what Catandunganons need is access -access to resources and access to quality education—to become great,” Gov. Cua said.
Despite the hurdles, Torres said she is hopeful for the future of equitable access to justice for the people of Catanduanes, while also expressing her heartfelt gratitude for the scholarship grant.
“This scholarship grant is truly a blessing, not just to us students who strive to pursue our goal to become guardians of the law, to our families who work relentlessly to support us in achieving our dreams but most especially to our fellow Catandunganons who deserve greater and equitable access to justice, whom we will be serving as the next generation of lawyers,” she stated.
Meanwhile, the lone medicine scholar emphasized in his speech that the strain of pursuing higher education is not confined to the intellectual sense only, pointing out financial problems that one comes across in their pursuits.
“I want to take a moment to shed light on the financial strains that often accompany the pursuit of a medical education. The demanding rigors of medical school are not solely intellectual; they are also financial hurdles that many of us grapple with daily. From towering tuition fees to the soaring costs of textbooks and living expenses, the financial burden is a weight we carry alongside our academic aspirations,” Dwight said.
“Considering the healthcare needs of our province, hearing the term “sole recipient” of the medical scholarship doesn’t sound good on my end … To my fellow students who aspire to become medical doctors someday. Let your childhood dream come true. I know that medical school is very emotionally, financially, and mentally draining. However, there are already different ways on how to address these problems – scholarships, mentorships, and batch reviews. In medicine, I can assure you, based on experience, that no one is left behind,” Dwight stated.
The CMLS program has been on-going for three years now and has provided opportunities for many students taking up law and medicine. One beneficiary, Jude Tacorda, graduated with a Juris Doctor degree and took the recent Bar Exam.