CORTES, Bohol, Oct. 8 (PIA) -- For Boholano youth who are primed for thrill and challenge, how about testing the breadth of your mental ability by taking science and technology courses?

This was the challenge posed by Department of Science and Technology (DOST) Provincial Science and Technology Center (PSTC) Chief Vina Antopina during PIA Bohol’s talk show “Piskay ni Bai.”

Antopina, along with DOST Scholarship Coordinator Noemi Olaer, announced the opening of the state scholarship for Grade 12 senior high schools taking the Science, Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) strand, graduating senior high school students from

Tagbilaran City Science High School and Ubay Science High School, and senior high school graduating students who belong to the top five of the school’s non-STEM strand.

The DOST scholarship, the country’s most prestigious scholarship provided by law, prioritizes science and technology, engineering, mathematics and applied sciences that the government sees to be in demand by the time they graduate.

“By the time they graduate, their courses would be needed in their respective industries, this way we can avert the surplus of graduates who would again end up being forced to take jobs that do not match their skills and competencies,” explained Olaer.

DOST prioritizes courses that build and help sustain the industries, where new courses on top of the scholarship list are those that would elevate the country‘s development to new heights.

“Always think hard of the courses that in the future, cannot simply be replaced by artificial intelligence,” Antopina said.

The DOST Bohol chief was referring to courses like Petroleum Engineering in view of the country’s direction to develop its oil and natural gas reserves; Ceramics Engineering which tackles the diverse world of ceramics in medical applications like bone marrow transplants, applied physics, biotechnology, chemistry into nanotechnology; industrial pharmacy in preparation for the country’s bold step into the pharmaceutical industry; medical technology that goes into microbiology in the direction of the country’s establishment of a vaccine institute and tropical disease research; aeronautics that delves not just on becoming pilots but on repair and maintenance of aircrafts and other industry niches and the diverse world of space engineering.   

“What we are looking for are not necessarily the brightest, but ra"ther the smart, who will have more of the emotional quotient to have the patience to persevere,” Antopina said.

Since these courses are not readily available in Bohol schools, interested students need to apply early as the schools may not have enough slots for the scholars as they too have their enrollees, DOST said.

“We cannot just simply allow them to enroll in ordinary schools. While it is the government which spends for their studies, we have to put them in the best schools known as centers of excellence for their opted courses,” Antopina assured.

Scholars will receive P7,000 monthly living allowance, P40,000 tuition and other school fees per academic year, P10,000 annual book allowance, P1,000 clothing allowance for those entering first year on their first year, P10,000 thesis allowance, group health insurance, economy class roundtrip ticket, summer allowance if the curriculum requires it, and another P1,000 graduation clothing allowance.

DOST, which has opened the applications since September, said applicants can go to DOST Bohol PSTC Facebook Page where the online application can be processed, or send a private message to the page for a detailed guide on the application process and submission of requirements.

Deadline for applications is on Dec. 2. (RAHC/PIA7 Bohol)