Insufficient funds delay release of DOST scholars' stipend — official

MANILA, Philippines — The lack of funds for the Department of Science and Technology-Science and Education Institute’s (DOST-SEI) cash program led to the delayed release of their undergraduate scholars’ stipends, the agency said on Thursday, September 5. 

Minority lawmaker Rep. Raoul Manuel (Kabataan Party-list) questioned the agency during the hearing on their proposed 2025 budget about why it takes months to release stipends for DOST scholars, particularly those located in the National Capital Region (NCR) and CALABARZON.   

According to DOST-SEI officer-in-charge Albert Mariño, the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) denied the agency’s request for additional appropriations. 

“Nag-request po kami ng additional appropriations doon sa aming requirement so talagang hindi na-approve ng DBM nung time na yun,” he said.

(We requested for additional appropriations in our requirement so the DBM did not approve it at that time)

Meanwhile, DBM Assistant Director Joanna Galarpe said their agency does not have a pending request for additional cash allocation for that purpose.

This prompted Rep. Stella Quimbo (Marikina City, 2nd District) to urge the DBM and DOST-SEI to review the status of the request, noting that this is not the first time the agency has asked for additional funds.  

How are the funds transferred? DOST secretary Renato Solidum Jr. said that the DBM releases funds to the agency, and the agency is in charge of delivering them to each university.

Once DOST receives the funds, the agency will distribute them to the university’s coordinator. The coordinator is then responsible for the transfer of the stipend to students under the DOST-SEI scholarship program.

However, Solidum said that the problem sometimes stems from universities, where students fail to submit their grades — a requirement that determines whether DOST-SEI will continue issuing stipends to their scholars. 

“Minsan doon nagkakaproblema kasi minsan ‘yung mga bata hindi naman nagbibigay ng grades or nakakasubmit kaagad,” he said.

(Sometimes that's where the problem arises because some students don't submit their grades or aren't able to submit them right away.)

What is DOST proposing? While