By Danny O. Calleja
LEGAZPI CITY, April 11 (PNA) -– The Civil Service Commission (CSC) Bicol regional office is enjoining Bicolanos to apply and become lucky grantees of the Australia Awards Scholarships (AAS), which is now accepting applicants for its 2015-2016 program.
The deadline for filing applications is set this month and CSC Regional Director Cecilia Nieto on Saturday here said those who may be eligible and interested should better be in a hurry so as not to miss this big opportunity.
The scholarships are long-term development awards administered by the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade to provide opportunities for people from developing countries like the Philippines to undertake full-time undergraduate or postgraduate study at participating Australian universities and Technical and Further Education (TAFE) institutions.
Offered for the minimum period necessary for the individual to complete the academic program specified by the Australian higher education institution, the program generally includes benefits such as full tuition fees, return air travel, establishment allowance, contributions to living expenses (CLE) and Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC), among others.
To be eligible to receive a scholarship, Nieto said, local applicants must be a minimum of 18 years of age at the time of commencing the study grant; a citizen and resident of the Philippines and; not married, engaged to or a de facto of a person who holds, or is eligible to hold, Australian or New Zealand citizenship or permanent residency, at any time during the application, selection or mobilization phases.
To qualify, an applicant must not also be currently a military serving personnel; not a citizen or holder of permanent residency in Australia or applying for a visa to live in the same country permanently; have satisfied any specific criteria established by the Philippine government and; be able to satisfy the admission requirements of the institution at which the award is to be undertaken.
To ensure the development impact of AAS, all awardees must return home on completion of their studies so they can contribute to development in their country
Nieto said her office is helping in the implementation of this program as CSC is one of the partners of the Philippine-Autralian Human Resource and Organizational Development Facility (PAHRODF) taking part in the information campaign for the AAS 2015-2016 intake.
Earlier, she said, the CSC regional office initiated a series of orientation that provided information about the scholarship program and the process of application for interested individuals and groups in the region.
Representatives from private sectors — particularly civil society and non-government organizations, persons with disability, women and indigenous peoples — attended the activities held here and in Naga City, according to Nieto.
She said representatives from PAHRODF, which facilitated the orientation, also gave attendees an opportunity to one-on-one consultations on the eligibility and application process and requirements.
Since the AAS is an international development scheme of the Australian Government that aims to develop leadership and build partnerships and enduring linkages between Australia and its partner-developing countries including the Philippines, Nieto said her office wants more Bicolanos into it.
She explained that the program is designed to provide high-achieving Filipino development leaders with the opportunity to pursue Master’s degrees in Australia’s premier academic institutions.
Priority areas of the scholarship awards are in basic education, social protection and welfare, peace and development, public financial management, disaster risk reduction and management, organizational development/human resource management, trade and economic development, foreign relations, governance and mining or mining-related fields, Nieto said.
For over 50 years, she said, Australia has supported the Philippines’ best and the brightest to study and train at its world-class universities on this Australian Government-funded scholarships that are open to talented Filipino leaders and achievers – regardless of gender, ethnicity or disability – who are passionate about sparking positive change and development in the Philippines.
It has also so far awarded 22 emerging leaders from the Philippine public sector such as the Department of Education), Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) and the National Mapping and Resources Information Authority (NAMRIA) who were taken in last January.
They will head to Australia’s world-renowned universities next year for post-graduate studies in key areas such as education, peace studies, disaster preparedness, and geographic information science.
Upon their return to the Philippines, these scholars are expected to implement in their organizations a re-entry action plan (REAP)—an innovative feature of the program that would enable them to apply the knowledge gained in Australia to spearhead positive change in their workplaces, Nieto said.
Previous returning scholars have successfully initiated change through their REAPs, Nieto said, citing among others a 2013 scholar from the DILG in Western Visayas who now assists local government units in crafting investment and incentive codes, which in turn, helped create a business-friendly environment for local and foreign investors.
Another one is a 2011 scholar who is now helping NAMRIA deliver enhanced software for the distribution to the public of the source code management system, which is proving essential in helping the agency reaches its goal of delivering timely, accessible and accurate geospatial information, Nieto said. (PNA)