Grab Philippines proudly celebrated the launch of its fourth batch of GrabScholars, awarding full four-year scholarships to a new group of promising students in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics), business, and sustainability. These scholarships, offered in partnership with prestigious institutions such as Mapúa University and the Cebu Institute of Technology University, come with comprehensive support—including tuition coverage, a monthly stipend, a brand-new laptop, and other essential school supplies.
This fresh cohort of scholars—Harvey Blaize Ramirez, Reign Quiñones, Lloeby Xyra Semana, Dainty Jurzhail Balde, Wrench Maxenne Singcol, and Chrislyn Bacalso—brings the total number of GrabScholars to 23, marking a significant milestone in the program’s growth.
Empowering Future Tech Leaders
Grab Philippines Managing Director Ronald Roda emphasized the importance of investing in these students as a way to boost the country’s technological capabilities. “With rapid advancements in tech and AI, it’s essential that we prepare the next generation to lead these innovations. GrabScholar is about empowering Filipinos to become the builders and leaders of tomorrow’s tech landscape,” Roda said.
The GrabScholar program is a key initiative of the GrabForGood agenda, which aims to promote socioeconomic mobility across Southeast Asia by providing educational opportunities for underserved communities.
A Scholarship That Hits Close to Home
For many of the new scholars, their journey to college is deeply connected to the hard work of their parents in the Grab and MOVE IT ecosystem. Their scholarship not only changes their lives but also supports their families’ long-term goals.
Take Harvey Blaize Ramirez, for example, a Mapúa University freshman pursuing AI engineering. Harvey’s father, who started as a GrabFood rider and later became a GrabCar driver, has served as an inspiration for Harvey’s future aspirations. Harvey dreams of joining Grab’s engineering team or even launching his own tech startup.
Reign Quiñones, an industrial engineering student at the Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP), also hails from a family tied to the gig economy. Her father delivers for GrabFood, and Reign balances her studies with freelance layout and editing work. A former campus journalist, Reign hopes to become a process designer, developing apps that address critical social issues like disaster risk mitigation.
The program has also expanded its reach to scholars from outside Metro Manila. Dainty Jurzhail Balde, a civil engineering student at the Cebu Institute of Technology University, comes from a family where her father, a MOVE IT rider, is the sole breadwinner. Dainty is determined to give back by starting a foundation to mentor aspiring engineers from disadvantaged backgrounds.
Meanwhile, Wrench Maxenne Singcol, a computer science student at the University of Mindanao in Davao City, is pursuing his passion in tech with hopes of shaping the digital future.
Breaking Barriers Beyond Grab’s Ecosystem
Not all of the new scholars come from Grab’s partner ecosystem. Lloeby Xyra Semana, an accountancy student at PUP, aims to become a CPA-lawyer. Supported solely by her mother, a public school teacher, Lloeby sees the scholarship as an opportunity to improve her family’s future.
Chrislyn Bacalso, a business administration student at Xavier University–Ateneo de Cagayan, is determined to be the first college graduate in her family. With her mother, a vegetable vendor, supporting the family while her father lives with a disability, Chrislyn’s journey is one of resilience and hope.
Beyond Scholarships: Supporting K–12 Learners
In addition to its full college scholarships, GrabScholar also provides one-time bursaries to over 300 underprivileged elementary and high school students. This financial assistance, reaching up to PHP 2,500, helps cover essential school expenses such as books, uniforms, and supplies. The bursaries are conveniently distributed through GrabPay, ensuring that students have the resources they need to succeed in their education.
Grab Philippines continues to invest in the future of Filipino youth, offering opportunities that not only change lives but also strengthen the country’s tech landscape. This new batch of GrabScholars is poised to lead the next generation of innovators, entrepreneurs, and change-makers.
