EBSU scholar, Jomar C. Salubre ranked 7th in the Pharmacist Board Exam while Allyssa Mae T. Que was Top 9 in the Nursing Board Exam. They are both residents of Barangay Cabantian Davao City and are schoolmates at the San Pedro College.
The City Information Office (CIO) in its report said that Salubre is really grateful for the support of the EBSU in his journey to becoming a topnotcher, especially during the time of the pandemic when his family’s financial stability was challenged.
He said the P25,000 he received as a full scholar per semester from EBSU paid for his excess tuition and miscellaneous fees. With it, he was also able to buy a printer and paid for his thesis without asking from his family. The extra money from some allowances given to him by EBSU, which was unused due to the lockdowns, was used to buy medicine for his senior citizen parents.
“If not for the scholarship given by EBSU, I wonder where I would be today. Maybe I would be delayed in my studies, and I may not have achieved what I achieved. And by the time that I took the board, because I was delayed, it would not be for me anymore. I really believe that being a topnotcher is not only through hard work, and manifestation, it is also about destiny—it is also about God’s providence given just for you,” Salubre said.
Salubre said he was quite late in availing of the scholarship benefits as he only entered when he was already in the third year level.
Que, meanwhile, said that being a scholar made tuition become the least of the problems. Her scholarship helped them during the pandemic, especially since her father was the breadwinner of their family at the height of the pandemic.
“The pandemic really affected a lot of people and naapil man pud akong family as well. Ang gibuhat sa city government, the EBSU program, it made things easier and it made things simpler… It really became a stepping stone in becoming a topnotcher kay kanang murag kung you want to study or you want to work hard for it siyempre dili man gud nimo maiwasan nga maghuna huna ug external factors and apil man gyud didto ang financial. At least nakatabang kaayo among scholarship nga dili kaayo maproblema that much among parents. I am really grateful grabe pud among pagpasalamat sa city government of Davao,” Que said.
Que, who was a scholar since first year college, advised students and EBSU scholars that nothing is impossible with faith and perseverance.
“If you really believe in yourself, and if you really believe in Him, you will only be shocked because all the things you thought impossible are possible at the end of your journey. All your hard work will pay off in the end,” Que said.