SENATOR Joel Villanueva is pushing to institutionalize the government’s merit scholarship program to provide academically gifted but financially challenged Filipino students with a permanent pathway to higher education and better employment opportunities.

As principal sponsor of Senate Bill No. 2410, or the proposed Presidential Merit Scholarship Program (PMSP) Act, Villanueva said the measure would transform the existing Bagong Pilipinas Merit Scholarship Program (BPMSP) into a permanent national scholarship framework.

The current program supports around 20,000 scholars nationwide.

“Merit should recognize excellence, but poverty should never disqualify excellence,” said Villanueva, who also co-chairs the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM 2).

Under the bill, qualified senior high school graduates from both public and private schools may apply. For higher education, applicants must belong to the top one percent of their graduating class or have a general weighted average (GWA) of at least 95 percent.

Those pursuing Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) diploma programs must have a GWA of at least 85 percent.

Beyond tuition, the proposed scholarship would provide living and transportation stipends, book and connectivity allowances, educational assistance, and support for internships, thesis and research requirements, and board examinations.

Villanueva said the measure aims to prepare scholars for meaningful employment by supporting studies in priority fields such as healthcare, agriculture, science and engineering, education, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and advanced manufacturing.

The bill would also require scholars to render return service in the Philippines through employment, research, teaching, public service, or work in industries that contribute to national development.

According to Villanueva, putting the scholarship program into law would protect it from changes in administration and ensure continued support for deserving Filipino students.

“Scholarship is not just assistance for students—it is an investment in the nation’s future,” he said.