By Joseph Bernard A. Marzan
Students of the West Visayas State University-College of Medicine (WVSU-COM) under the Commission on Higher Education-Medical Scholarship and Return Service (CHED-MSRS) program are facing delays in their allowances, compounding their struggles with unpaid PhilHealth contributions under the same program.
A copy of the CHED-MSRS contract obtained by Daily Guardian states that scholars are entitled to semestral and monthly allowances.
The PHP 22,500 semestral allowance includes PHP 13,000 for books, PHP 3,500 for clothing or uniforms, and PHP 6,000 for miscellaneous expenses, including connectivity.
Monthly allowances amount to PHP 11,000, with PHP 5,000 each for living and lodging subsidies and PHP 1,000 for transportation.
The CHED explicitly committed in the contract to “ensure timely release of allowances to the grantee[s].”
WVSU-COM currently has about 362 medical students and 120 clinical clerks, with an estimated 260 of them enrolled as CHED-MSRS scholars.
Fourth-year medical student Steven Pagunsan, a clinical clerk, said delays have been a persistent issue since he joined the scholarship in 2021.
“Since becoming a CHED-MSRS scholar, I have consistently experienced delays in the release of allowances, typically by at least two months,” Pagunsan told Daily Guardian.
He shared that allowances, initially expected to be distributed monthly, shifted to a biannual schedule but have not been released for the entire first semester.
“After enrolling as a clinical clerk in July 2024, I expected the allowance to be released by September. Regrettably, six months have passed since enrollment, and the funds have yet to be disbursed,” he added.
Pagunsan revealed that the delays have forced him to borrow money to cover essential expenses like accommodation, utilities, meals, and clerkship-related costs.
Third-year student Franco Nodado, who also serves as a scholarship liaison, echoed similar sentiments, saying the delays have caused significant financial stress and anxiety for students.
“The delay in receiving CHED funds, including PhilHealth premiums and allowances, has created financial challenges. These delays make budgeting difficult and force me to ask for money from my parents, which I vowed not to do,” Nodado said.
WVSU Medicine Student Council President Charlene Jereos said the college and university administrations have been in contact with CHED and are awaiting the commission’s response.
The issue with CHED-MSRS allowances comes on top of unpaid Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) contributions for 2024, which the program also covers.
The college requires students to maintain PhilHealth accounts to ensure coverage for hospital exposures.
Daily Guardian has reached out to WVSU President Joselito Villaruz and CHED-Western Visayas Regional Director Raul Alvarez Jr., but both have yet to respond as of this writing.
