
A total of 300 Cebu Normal University (CNU) students are set to receive ₱7,500 each in one-time financial assistance under the Tulong Dunong Program (TDP) for Academic Year 2026–2027, with an additional 200 slots being considered for the next academic year.
The assistance was announced by Mark Lapid, representative of Lingkod Lapid, during a visit to the university earlier today. The program is implemented under the office of Senator Manuel “Lito” Lapid.

Lapid acknowledged that while students in state universities and colleges (SUCs), including CNU, benefit from free tuition under the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act, they continue to face other expenses that may affect their ability to pursue and complete their studies.
He said the ₱7,500 grant could help cover essential student expenses, including mobile phone load, board and lodging, and other educational needs.
“Ang importante maka graduate kayo para matulungan niyo ang mga magulang niyo sa pang araw-araw na buhay,” he said.
Lapid, who serves as the Chief Operating Officer of the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA), also explained that the financial assistance is sourced from the Philippine Travel Tax collections, portions of which are allocated to tourism development, higher education, and culture and the arts.
Under the law governing the allocation of travel tax revenues, 40% is earmarked for higher education, while 50% goes to tourism development and 10% to culture and the arts. The TDP draws from the higher education allocation to provide financial assistance to qualified students.
The beneficiaries from CNU will be selected from among students who meet the program’s eligibility requirements, including those from low-income households.
The final list of qualified student-beneficiaries is subject to approval by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and will be released once finalized.
The CNU Scholarship Center had earlier invited students to apply, provided they were not recipients of the CHED Tertiary Education Subsidy (TES) or other private or government-funded scholarships and grants.

For his part, CNU President Dr. Laurence Garcia expressed appreciation for the assistance and the commitment to support the university’s ongoing classroom renovation efforts.
Garcia said the planned improvements would help provide students with more conducive learning spaces, emphasizing the importance of adequate facilities in delivering quality education.
“We are happy that the dream of our students of having classrooms that are conducive to learning will be happening soon. We have seen the true situation of the university, and the students deserve nothing less than a better school and a quality education,” he said.

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