MANILA, Philippines, 18 January 2023 – Grab Philippines strengthens its GrabForGood social-impact agenda in the education sector with the launch of GrabScholar – a three-pronged scholarship program facilitated with online human-skills school BagoSphere. GrabScholar covers full-time college scholarships in partnership with PHINMA Education, bursary support for educational requirements, and a career acceleration program for aspiring Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) professionals with BagoSphere. 

GrabScholar ladders up to Grab’s broader GrabForGood agenda which is geared at creating a positive impact on local communities through Grab’s technology and platform. Grab Philippines has launched other social-impact projects like its basic digital literacy program with Microsoft for driver-partners, and financial literacy program with the International Finance Corporation for small businesses.

Aimed at helping democratize access to educational opportunities here in the Philippines, GrabScholar will be supporting six full-time college students with four-year merit-based scholarships; 300 elementary and high school students with a one-time bursary for school supplies, books, and uniforms; and more than 150 adults with the Ateneo Center for Educational Development (ACED)-BagoSphere BPO Fellowship Program (BBF). The program is open to everyone, including Grab’s own driver-partners, merchant-partners, and their families. 

Country Head of Grab Philippines Grace Vera Cruz shares: 

“Many of our kababayans still lack access to necessary resources to attain their educational goals – and in many ways, this has impacted their growth opportunities. As a company that strives to empower every Filipino toward a better life through our platform and technology, we are embarking on this meaningful endeavor, GrabScholar, together with our partners from BagoSphere and PHINMA Education, to offer inclusive educational opportunities to Filipinos who are eager to change their lives for the better.”

GrabScholar: College Scholarship

Grab Philippines and PHINMA Education are accepting applications for the GrabScholar: College scholarship grant until February 03, 2023. After a rigorous assessment process with both Grab and PHINMA Education, six students will be selected and granted a full four-year scholarship at any of the partner PHINMA Education affiliate schools: St. Jude College, Republican College, Rizal College of Laguna, Union College of Laguna, and University of Iloilo. The grant covers tuition fees and miscellaneous fees, and also entitles the grantee to allowance and school supply support. 

Country Head of PHINMA Education Philippines Christopher A. Tan shares:

“Throughout the past 18 years, PHINMA Education has catered by intent and design to the underserved youth — students whose families live on less than 300 USD per month, who, despite the odds, are often the first in their families to go to college. While we provide the Hawak Kamay Scholarship Program to around 60% of our students, GrabScholar will empower even more underserved youth to lift their families out of poverty. This school year, we were fortunate enough to gain the trust of more than 124K students. While it is the highest enrollment in our history, our mission does not stop there. This partnership with Grab Philippines and BagoSphere showcases how collaboration among like-minded organizations will allow us to reach more students and make even more lives better through education.”

First-year college students currently enrolled for academic year 2022-2023 are eligible to apply. They must have a GPA of at least 88 or 1.5  in the first semester to qualify. Interested applicants may visit this link for more information on other requirements and qualifications. 

GrabScholar: School Expenses Aid

The GrabScholar program is also intended to aid young Filipino students acquire essential items for their schooling. In light of this, Grab Philippines will be providing one-time financial assistance to 300 elementary and high school students for eligible expenses such as school supplies, books and uniforms. Through GrabPay, the leading superapp will be reimbursing the awardees’ eligible expenses which can go as high as Php 2,500. 

Grab Philippines is accepting applications for this aid until February 17, 2023. The GrabScholar: School Expenses Aid webpage contains more information on this program. 

GrabScholar: BPO Skills Training

Promoting inclusivity, the GrabScholar Program also offers educational opportunities for Filipinos aspiring to be BPO professionals. GrabScholar’s BPO Skills Training offers more than 150 scholarships for the four-month Ateneo Center for Educational Development (ACED)-BagoSphere BPO Fellowship Program (BBF). It consists of a one-month intensive online training with a live coach and three months of job placement and mentoring support. 80 percent of the program’s graduates land a job in various leading BPOs in the country after finishing the course.

Group CEO of BagoSphere Zhihan Lee shares:

“As we continue to witness the rapid advancements in AI technology, it’s becoming increasingly clear that it will play a transformative role in the way we work. At BagoSphere, we believe that all individuals, across all industries, will greatly benefit from learning how to navigate a digital landscape and build transferable human skills to increase their employability. Additionally, it’s important to note that AI can augment human skills, but it cannot replace them. In partnership with our BPO employer partners, Ateneo Center for Educational Development, PHINMA Education, and Grab Philippines, we are thrilled to invest in upskilling Filipinos and equipping them with the tools they need to thrive in the digital age.”

Applicants must at least be 18 years old and should have at least earned their high school diploma following either the old or K-12 curriculum. Qualified candidates may visit this page for more details on the program. Applications may be submitted until February 17, 2023. 

BagoSphere is an online human skills school for job seekers and professionals that collaborates with leading employers to provide training in human skills such as communication skills, interpersonal skills, critical thinking, and digital skills. BagoSphere has over 30,000 members and has graduated over 7,000 alumni from the Philippines’ underserved, low-income communities.