Initial seven-hundred thirteen (713) needy students have started to get their scholarship grants this school year from Rep. Edgar Chatto, a champion of education who believes that poverty must stop bearing children of less learning, if not oppressive ignorance.

Chatto currently supports over 1,300 scholars thru his Congressional Barangay Scholarship Program (CBSP), Congressional Regular Scholarship Program (CSRP) and Special Study Grant Program (SSGP), the latter in coordination with the Commission on Higher Education (CHED).

School sources said Chatto is the foremost singular supporter of poor students among Bohol leaders and has the biggest number of scholars in the province today.

Of the initial 713 grantees, 632 benefit from the solon’s CBSP and CRSP while 81 are recipients of the SSGP in partnership with CHED.

The checks of the financial aids under the CBSP and CRSP were already received by 599 grantees present in the turnover at the Bohol Island State University (BISU) – Tagbilaran City Campus on Monday. They are all enrollees of the school.

Initial forty-six (46) SSGP scholars were supposed to get their checks in the same scholarship grant awarding but only those who were present did get theirs. They study in the different BISU campuses, Holy Name University, University of Bohol, Bohol Institute of Technology and PMI Colleges.

Thirty-five (35) Chatto scholars under the SSGP at the Mater Dei College received their grants days earlier.

The congressman himself awarded the scholarship grants to the beneficiaries in the BISU ceremony witnessed by BISU System president Dr. Elpidio Magante and scholarship coordinator Dr. Luz Ganas, and BISU-Tagbilaran College Director Fernando Restificar.

BISU-Tagbilaran cashier Preciosa Cabalit and guidance counselor Jane Digao, BISU-Bilar Campus Director Virgilia Tejada and cashier Virgilia Pabeliro, and the congressman’s wife herself, Pureza Veloso-Chatto, were also present.

The lady Chatto stood for her husband in the separate awarding of scholarship grants to Mater Dei College students.

The congressman has been consistent in assisting the children of poor and marginalized Boholano families to get quality college education or, better still, university diplomas.

He fathered the provincial ordinance establishing and institutionalizing the now equally essential CPG Scholarship Program. He was then the vice governor and presiding officer of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan

Magante recounted how Chatto consecrated his time and sweats ‘to realize our dream” of converting the then Central Visayas State College of Agriculture, Forestry and technology (CVSCAFT) into the now BISU, the first and only state university in Bohol.

The BISU president also recalled the time when CHED thinned the scholarship slots from their total equivalent of P10 million to only P2 million. He said Chatto vehemently lobbied to retain many slots for the poor Boholano students.

Chatto secured allocations for scholarships, study grants and other educational aids, but he did not hesitate to commend the BISU people who processed in the regional office the release of the funds.

He has likewise sustained his program for free vocational/technical courses and livelihood skills trainings in tie-up with the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA). He funded the on-going construction of the TESDA Training Center in Bohol.

The Bohol solon, who is the House vice chairman of the committee on education, said education is the best leveler. “The society has various strata, but with proper education and academic training one can have the competence to level the field.”

The initial 713 grantees under the CBSP, CRSP and SSGP are just about half of the total number of Chatto scholars in BISU campuses and private tertiary schools in Bohol in the current school year 2009-2010.

The congressional barangay scholarship assists children of barangay officials while the congressional regular scholarship benefits poor students who are not sons and daughters of barangay officials. The CBSP and CRSP scholars are all enrolled in the BISU System.

The special study grant with CHED supports students who yearn to complete four-year courses in the BISU System and accredited private tertiary institutions. There are current SSGP scholars in all four college year levels.

Because of Chatto’s support, already many poor but deserving Boholanos had completed four-year courses or attained full college degrees for which they have since found good jobs or harnessed self-employment capacities.

Chatto was candid about his support to the scholarship grantees, straightly saying to them that “this is not of value to me but of value to you.”

Magante, who has headed BISU since its CVSCAFT years, was regretful yet assuring in sharing this to the students assisted by Chatto: “I had no scholarship in my entire student life, but here you have a man who is so concerned of your future.”