MANILA, Philippines — Retired chief justice Artemio Panganiban, chairman of the Foundation for Liberty and Prosperity, has announced the launching of three FLP “excellence” education programs: “Esmel” Fellowships, Legal Scholarships and Dissertation Writing Awards.
The new Esmel fellowships are open to five graduate students taking up or intending to take up Master in Business Administration (MBA) or Master of Science (MS) or their equivalents, and majoring in any of the Esmel courses (entrepreneurship, sustainability, management, economics and business law).
Each merit-based Esmel fellowship, which is spearheading this year’s grants, is awarded in partnership with the Metro Pacific Investments Corp. through the Metro Pacific Foundation. Every fellowship is worth P450,000 (P350,000 for tuition and P100,000 stipend for books and living allowance).
For this academic year, the search for Esmel scholars will be limited to the graduate students of the Asian Institute of Management, Ateneo de Manila, De La Salle University, University of the Philippines and University of Santo Tomas.
If qualified, even those holding other scholarship grants may still apply for, and be awarded, these fellowships.
The FLP Legal Scholarship Program, in partnership with the Tan Yan Kee Foundation, is also merit-based and awards at least 20 of the best and brightest law students in the country with P200,000 each (P100,000 for tuition, P20,000 for books and P80,000 for monthly stipends).
Now on its 6th year, it is open to all third and fourth year students of law schools that have obtained a passing rate above the overall percentage of passing in the last Bar exam based on statistical data from the Office of the Bar Confidant of the Supreme Court.
The FLP Dissertation Writing Contest, in partnership with Ayala Corp., aims to augment existing literature on the Foundation’s core philosophy of liberty and prosperity under the rule of law. The contest is open to third year and fourth year law students and those taking Master of Laws.
Esmel fellows, law scholars and dissertation winners will be selected by separate and independent Boards of Judges for each of the programs.
Last school year, Chief Justice Alexander Gesmundo chaired the board of judges of the FLP Legal Scholarship Program while Supreme Court Senior Justice Estela Perlas-Bernabe chaired the board of judges of the FLP Dissertation Writing Contest.
For the same school year, FLP awarded scholarships to 21 law students. Ten of them were third year law students Allan Crisostomo (Far Eastern University), Cecilia Joahna Laza (St. Louis University), Anton Gabriel Leron (UP), Mary Therese Maurin (University of Cebu), Louis-Mari Opina (UST), Daverick Angelito Pacumio (UST), Ma. Paula Ramos (U of Cordilleras), Robert Jhon Salazar (FEU), Erielle Sibayan (University of Cordilleras), and Shalimar Hillary Taongan (DLSU-Manila).
The 11 fourth year law students were William Christian dela Cruz (Father Saturnino Urios U), Ricka Abigael Dumelod (UST), Florida Fomaneg (UP), Rowell Nico Macalino (ADMU), Joy Francine Mappang (U of Cordilleras), Geremae Mata (University of San Carlos), Carlo Angelo Negado (USC), Laurence Obaob (USC), Jani Omamalin (USC), George Mariano Soriano (UP) and Mark Stephen Sy (ADMU).
On the other hand, the winners of the Dissertation Writing Contest for the same year were Lord Jay-em Cuntapay (ADMU) first prize of P320,000 cash; Eunice Baliong (USC) second prize of P220,000; and third placers, each winning P120,000 Christianne Noelle De Vera (DLSU), Trisha Aliya Dulanas (USC) and Catherine Joy Lim (ADMU). The winning dissertations can be accessed at www.libpros.com.
The FLP was founded in 2011 to perpetuate the core judicial philosophy of CJ Panganiban to safeguard liberty and nurture prosperity under the rule of law. Its Board of Trustees is composed of Panganiban (chairman), former education secretary Edilberto de Jesus, retired Supreme Court justice Angelina Sandoval-Gutierrez, former BSP governor Amando Tetangco Jr., lawyer Joel Emerson Gregorio, professor Elenita Panganiban, Maria Elena Yaptangco and lawyer Sean James Borja.
The ultimate FLP projects are the establishment of an immersive and interactive Museum for Liberty and Prosperity (for the liberty side) and the multibillion-peso Entrepreneurship Fund (on the prosperity side), a program being designed to help the poor help themselves through private entrepreneurship.
For the Rules of the fellowship, scholarship and dissertation searches, please visit the FLP website, libpros.com