Tuguegarao City—True to its commitment to support education among its host communities, renewable energy company SN Aboitiz Power (SNAP) has confirmed its pledge as it welcomed 12 incoming college freshmen students to their scholarship program.
SNAP President and CEO Joseph S. Yu said these scholarships are specifically important since COVID-19 has made it even more difficult for students to pursue their educational goals.
“We believe that education is a key component to powering positive change, so we continue to partner with parents and educators in helping our scholars realize their dreams,” Yu stressed.
Following the COVID-19 restrictions, 78 applicants have undergone via a virtual screening in July, the most since the Bridging Gaps in Higher Education through Tertiary Scholarships (BRIGHTS) program was launched in 2017.
The students hail from SNAP’s direct host municipalities of Bokod and Itogon in Benguet; Alfonso Lista, Ifugao; and Ramon, Isabela, where their hydro power generation facilities are located.
Each scholar will receive funding for their tuition fees, school fees, and living allowances.
SNAP conducted a combination of virtual and face-to-face orientations for the new scholars and their parents and guardians, culminating in the signing of memorandums of agreement in August. All face-to-face activities were conducted according to COVID-19 safety measures.
BRIGHTS is a scholarship initiative under SNAP’s corporate social responsibility program. It targets deserving students with limited means from the company’s immediate host communities. The program has produced eight graduates while the new batch brings the number of active scholars to 48.
Its current university partners are Benguet State University, Cordillera Career Development College, University of Baguio, and the University of the Cordilleras in Baguio City; Ifugao State University in Lamut; Isabela State University in Echague; and PLT College, Inc. in Bayombong, Nueva Vizcaya.
SNAP Group is a joint venture between SN Power of Norway and AboitizPower. It supplies clean, renewable, and dependable energy through the operation of the 105-megawatt (MW) Ambuklao hydro, and the 140-MW Binga hydro in the province of Benguet.
SNAP also operates the 8.5-MW Maris hydro in Isabela, as well as the newly uprated 360- to 388-MW Magat hydro on the border of Isabela and Ifugao.