GrabScholar First Grads Mark Milestone as Program Hits 2,000 Filipinos

Grab Philippines has marked a significant milestone in its education initiative, as the first five full-ride scholars under the GrabScholar program completed their college degrees, becoming the pioneering graduates of the scheme in Southeast Asia.

The graduates Cesario Cabuello III, Mary Flor Valerie Rull, John Lloyd Villa, Jasmine Nicanor and Jessa Mae Tabares earned degrees in education, business and finance. Three have already begun their professional careers. Cabuello now teaches senior high school at PHINMA Saint Jude College Quezon City. Nicanor is completing a government internship in Iloilo. Tabares works as a corporate legal assistant while preparing, together with Rull and Villa, to take the Licensure Examination for Professional Teachers.

The achievement was celebrated at an awards ceremony where Tabares, an Education major specializing in English and a former working student at Grab Iloilo, spoke on behalf of her batch. She described how the scholarship changed her outlook and her family’s circumstances.

“When college came, I almost convinced myself it wasn’t part of my future because I didn’t want to be a burden to my family. Then GrabScholar came. It was never just about a diploma it gave us a community that believed in us when it would have been easier to stop. Now that this opportunity has helped us rise, it is our turn to reach back, extend a hand, and help others move forward, too,” Tabares said.

She also noted that the financial support allowed her parents to redirect limited resources toward basic household needs while she continued her studies and part-time work assisting drivers, TNVS applicants and passengers at the Grab Iloilo hub for nearly three years.

Launched in 2023, GrabScholar has so far reached around 2,000 Filipinos through three complementary tracks. It has awarded 30 full college scholarships, provided school-expense assistance to 1,500 elementary and high school students, and delivered BPO skills training to 400 individuals. This year the program welcomed its fifth batch of scholars, continuing the expansion of support.

The initiative is funded by the GrabForGood Fund and implemented in partnership with Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP) and the Singapore-based social enterprise BagoSphere. Beyond tuition coverage, scholars receive learning materials, living allowances, development programs, internships and career pathways designed to ease the transition from campus to workplace.

CJ Lacsican, President of Grab Financial Group Philippines, framed the graduates’ success as proof of a broader mission. “People know Grab for rides, deliveries, and financial services. But those have always been part of a bigger mission: creating opportunities. GrabScholar is one example of that mission in practice. Five graduates in, we’re seeing what opportunity can build when someone gets a real shot, with degrees earned, careers started, and doors opened that weren’t there before. And it never stops with just one person. It lifts a family, changes what’s possible for the people around them, and reaches our communities. That’s the asenso we’re really after,” Lacsican said.

Elvin Ivan Uy, Executive Director of PBSP, emphasized the value of sustained support rather than one-time assistance. “The first graduating cohort shows what sustained investment in education can make possible. These scholars were not only given the opportunity to enter college, but the resources and guidance to stay the course and reach graduation. We are proud to have walked alongside them throughout that journey, and we hope their stories encourage more partners to join us in strengthening our education sector and enabling more young Filipinos to complete their studies.”

Singapore’s Ambassador to the Philippines, H.E. Constance See, highlighted the practical link between education support and employability. She noted that GrabScholar helps students cover school expenses and tuition while equipping job seekers with skills that lead to employment, and expressed particular satisfaction that BagoSphere is involved in the effort.

Department of Education Undersecretary Hon. Edson Sy delivered a message on behalf of Education Secretary Sonny Angara, reaffirming government support for public-private partnerships in education. “DepEd is truly grateful to organizations like Grab Philippines that are more than willing to extend a helping hand and help us create more pathways for our learners to reach their full potential. Because in the journey of education, we may take different roads, but we are heading towards the same destination: a better future for every Filipino child.”

The ceremony also featured the formal induction of the fifth batch of GrabScholars, who took their pledge in the presence of program partners and government representatives. Officials from Grab, PBSP and BagoSphere reiterated that the focus remains on continuity supporting one cohort through graduation while opening doors for the next.

Also Read: Grab Partners with LSBF to Offer Flexible Education Opportunities

Program organizers said the combination of financial aid, mentoring and career preparation distinguishes GrabScholar from conventional scholarship schemes. By addressing both academic costs and the practical barriers that often force students to drop out, the initiative aims to improve completion rates and long-term employability among beneficiaries from lower-income households.

As the first graduates begin their professional lives and a new group of scholars starts their college journeys, Grab Philippines, PBSP and BagoSphere have committed to maintaining and expanding the program. The partners described the next phase as one of scaling proven support mechanisms so that more young Filipinos can move from limited opportunity to completed degrees and stable employment.

The five pioneering graduates now serve as visible examples of what consistent investment in education and skills can achieve. Their stories, shared during the ceremony, underscored both the personal impact of the scholarship and the wider ripple effects on families and communities.

GrabScholar’s early results suggest that targeted, multi-year support covering tuition, living costs and job readiness can help close gaps in access to higher education and decent work for Filipino youth. With nearly 2,000 individuals already assisted and a growing alumni base, the program is positioning itself as a sustained contributor to education and workforce development in the country.