Bisliganon families who applied for the Bislig City Scholarship Program earlier this year are hitting a milestone this month. According to the city government's own published activity plan, July and August 2026 cover the "finalization of enrolled new scholars" for School Year 2026-2027, with orientation and contract signing for that new batch running from August through September. If your child qualified, this is the stretch where it becomes official.
A program that predates the current ordinance
The scholarship program did not start recently. It began in 2011 under City Ordinance No. 2011-02, the Scholarship Ordinance of 2011, and went through several amendments before being codified on July 4, 2023 as City Ordinance No. 2023-09, the Scholarship Code of Bislig City. The program's stated purpose ties directly into the national "Education for All" push and DepEd's zero-illiteracy target, with an explicit Gender and Development component meant to give male and female students equal access.
Who the program actually reaches
By the numbers the city government has published, the program is not small. As of December 31, 2025, it had 749 active scholars across every level, from junior high school through post-graduate law and medicine. In 2025 alone, the city disbursed ₱9,552,000 in direct financial assistance to scholars, plus another ₱140,015 in operational costs, for a total budget utilization of ₱9,692,015 for the year. For School Year 2025-2026 specifically, 351 students took the college-level qualifying exam, and 123 were confirmed as new scholars; of 95 examinees for the Senior High School Agriculture track, 72 qualified.
Who qualifies
The program targets specific groups rather than general merit alone. Eligible applicants must belong to one of the following: indigent families, families displaced or relocated within Bislig City, persons with disabilities, indigenous peoples, household helpers (kasambahay), Alternative Learning System graduates, solo parents, children of parents convicted with finality in a criminal case, or family members of tricycle drivers, farmers, or fishermen. The City Scholarship Advisory Council (CSAC) can also recognize other vulnerable or marginalized sectors on a case-by-case basis.
The program covers Senior High School (Agriculture and Tourism tracks), regular college programs at ASCB, DLSJBC, STIP, and SVPDC, engineering and forestry programs at NEMSU Bislig, Collegiate Agriculture for LGU scholar-graduates of SHS Agriculture, and post-graduate scholarships for Master's, Doctoral, Law, and Medicine programs, the last two requiring at least one year of permanent employment in Bislig City.
Applying next year
For this cycle, the application window already closed on March 30, 2026, and the qualifying exam was held May 15. Families interested in next year's round should watch for the announcement expected around March 2026, when the city posts the requirement list and opens applications at the City Administrator's Office, 3rd Floor, City Hall, Poblacion, Bislig City. Standard requirements include a barangay certificate of residency and indigency, a CSWD certificate confirming household income falls within the Caraga Region poverty threshold, a parent's COMELEC certification as a registered Bislig City voter, the applicant's school card, a certificate of good moral character, a birth certificate, and a signed application form.
Questions about the program can be directed to Scholarship Program Focal Person Cheramie B. Cordova, at bisligscholarship@bislig.gov.ph or 0919 086 3797.