A total of 223 Project FREE Paglaum teacher-scholars graduated at the University of St. La Salle–Bacolod, today, November 26, with Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson as the commencement speaker.
Lacson told the graduates their dedication and hard work are appreciated and will serve as an inspiration to other scholars.
“Education is one of the most important components of our present administration and it is my priority to strengthen our educational policies,” Lacson said.
“Lives have been deeply transformed by education and I am glad that you are going to be one of those, and that you are going to impart the same to our students,” he added.
The Flagships to Reach Educational Excellence – Paglaum Program (Project FREE) is one of the scholarship programs of the Provincial Government of Negros Occidental, open to all public elementary and high school teachers in the province who would like to avail of post-graduate studies.
Dr. Annabelle Balor, USLS Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and Project FREE Director, said that to date, a total of 2,756 public school teachers have already graduated under the scholarship program at USLS.
Negros Occ. Scholarship Program Head, Karen Dinsay, said that aside from professional growth and advancement, the scholarship is intended to improve the skills of public school teachers that will redound to the improvement of the scholastic performance of the schoolchildren.
Br. Joaquin Severino Martinez, USLS Bacolod president and chancellor, said that he is thankful to the provincial government for the grant of the scholarship program to Negrense teachers.
Other graduates attended the graduation ceremony virtually, in observance of COVID-19 health protocols.*