MANILA, Philippines — The Commission on Higher Education (CHED) welcomed the Senate's approval of a bill seeking to institutionalize the Presidential Merit Scholarship Program.
Senate Bill No. 2410 was approved on Sept. 7. The measure seeks to establish a national merit-based scholarship program for outstanding senior high school graduates pursuing priority programs in higher education and technical-vocational diploma pathways aligned with national development and workforce needs.
CHED Chairperson Shirley C. Agrupis attended the Senate plenary session in support of the measure.
The proposed Presidential Merit Scholarship Program seeks to institutionalize the Bagong Pilipinas Merit Scholarship Program (BPMSP), a priority initiative of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. launched in January 2026.
CHED leads the implementation of BPMSP in partnership with the Department of Education (DepEd) and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), with funding provided under the 2026 General Appropriations Act.