CSC, UP Renew Partnership to Award Scholarships to Gawad Lingkod Bayani Awardees

By Miriam G. Desacada

Tacloban CityThe Civil Service Commission (CSC) and the University of the Philippines (UP) have formalized a partnership to provide scholarship grants to national awardees of the Gawad Lingkod Bayani. The initiative further strengthens efforts to recognize excellence in public service and support the continued growth of outstanding civil servants.

The partnership was sealed through the signing of a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) on June 1, 2026 at the CSC Central Office. Leading the ceremony were CSC Chairperson Atty. Marilyn B. Yap and UP System President Angelo A. Jimenez, along with CSC Commissioners Ryan Alvin R. Acosta and Atty. Luis Meinrado C. Pañgulayan, UP Vice President for Administration Augustus C. Resurreccion, and other officials from both institutions.

Under the agreement, UP will grant scholarships to recipients of the three Gawad Lingkod Bayani awards from 2025 to 2030: the Gawad Lingkod Bayan ng Pangulo, Gawad Dangal ng Bayan, and Gawad Pagasa. 

Awardees can use the scholarship within five years from the date they receive the award. Both individual and group awardees, or one qualified beneficiary per awardee, may enroll in a degree program and complete their studies within the period prescribed by UP, provided they meet all academic requirements.

Scholarship recipients may pursue graduate studies in any UP constituent university, including UP Diliman, UP Manila, UP Los Baños, UP Visayas, UP Mindanao, UP Baguio, UP Cebu, UP Tacloban, and UP Open University (UPOU).

Chairperson Yap thanked UP for supporting the program, saying the partnership reinforces CSC’s commitment to honor public servants who embody _puso, dangal, at galing_, while creating opportunities for their continued growth and leadership development.

“As the national university, UP is widely recognized for its commitment to honor, excellence, and service to the people — values that strongly resonate with us at the CSC. At the heart of this collaboration is a shared belief that when government and academic institutions work together, we create stronger pathways for empowerment, leadership development, and meaningful public service,” Yap said.

President Jimenez expressed UP’s full support for the program, highlighting the University’s mission to expand access to quality education for deserving Filipinos from all walks of life.

“We believe deeply in the transformative power of education — not only as a means of personal advancement, but as a force that shapes institutions, communities, and nations. We hope that future scholars and awardees of this program will become leaders not only because of their expertise, but because of their character; not only because of what they achieve, but because of how they choose to serve,” Jimenez said.

Under the agreement, CSC will annually endorse qualified awardees to UP for evaluation. UP will assess applicants based on admission requirements, as well as their merit and fitness for their chosen degree programs.

The partnership reflects the shared commitment of CSC and UP to nurture excellence in public service by investing in the education and professional development of public servants whose contributions have made a meaningful impact on the country.