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New Zealand seeking more Mindanaoan scholars

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DAVAO CITY (PIA) -- The Embassy of New Zealand is seeking students from Muslim and tribal communities in Mindanao to apply for scholarship grants in their country.

“Like last year, we are focused on ensuring balance across the Philippines on our scholarship opportunities. Within that, we are very much focused on Mindanao, and within that, we are very much focused on providing more opportunities for Muslim and indigenous communities,” said New Zealand Ambassador to the Philippines Peter Kell.

Manaaki Scholarship, which is funded by New Zealand’s International Development Corporation,  provides post-graduate studies to beneficiaries by enrolling them in New Zealand universities with focus on several focus themes such as climate change and the environment, food security and agriculture, renewable energy, disaster risk management, and good governance.

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Kell said the focus on getting scholars from Mindanao is New Zealand’s way of supporting Mindanao’s sustained peace and development.

“Our development partnership has a very clear focus on supporting the peace process, and therefore, that’s why Mindanao becomes so much more important to us,” the Ambassador said.

International Development Cooperation manager Dyan Rodriguez hopes that for the 2025 scholarship program, more than 60 percent of the scholars will come from Mindanao.

“Under the leadership of Ambassador Peter Kell, we were able to advocate for a higher allocation for scholars coming from BARMM (Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao) and Mindanao; we are hoping more than 60 percent of scholars next year will come from this region,” Rodriguez said.

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New Zealand Ambassador to the Philippines Peter Kell (holding microphone) at the Kapihan sa PIA held at the NCCC VP. Joining the ambassador to promote the Manaaki scholarship include New Zealand International Development Cooperation manager Dyan Rodriguez (rightmost), Vicente Lao the current New Zealand honorary consul for Mindanao (2nd from left) and Maurice Lennon Ondoy (leftmost) 2024 Manaaki scholar.
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She noted that since the 1950s, when the scholarship was opened, there were only two scholars from Bangsamoro.

For this year’s Manaaki Scholarship recipients, 14 Filipinos will be going to New Zealand to pursue their post-graduate studies. Out of the 14 Manaaki beneficiaries, seven scholars are coming from Mindanao.

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New Zealand scholars during their pre-departure briefing on 9 January 2024 at the New Zealand Embassy Manila. (Photo from New Zealand Embassy)
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Manaaki Scholarship will cover full tuition, living expenses, an establishment allowance, medical and travel insurance, and travel expenses to and from the Philippines.

For those who want to apply for the 2025 program, the Manaaki New Zealand Scholarships online application portal https://www.nzscholarships. govt.nz/apply-online/ will open at 12:00 midnight New Zealand time on Feb. 1 and close at 12:00 p.m. on Feb. 28. It will be open to eligible candidates from the public, private, and civil society sectors.

Kell enjoined interested Mindanaoans to apply for the Manaaki.

“If you are interested, just apply. We would be delighted to have you apply,” the ambassador said. (RGA/ with reports from ETI/PIA Davao)

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Rudolph Ian Alama

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Region 11

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