DBP Targets 500 New Scholars Under Expanded Education CSR Program

Synopsis
The state‑owned Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP) is rolling out the second batch of its DBP INSPIRE scholarship program, targeting 500 college scholars across the country with ₱96.75 million in support for tuition, living allowances, and priority courses such as engineering, accountancy, IT, agriculture, and newly added marine and environmental sciences.

The Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP) is expanding its flagship education‑focused corporate social responsibility initiative, aiming to uplift the lives of financially challenged Filipino students through a renewed scholarship drive. DBP President and Chief Executive Officer Michael O. de Jesus announced that the state‑owned bank has allocated ₱96.75 million for the second year of implementation of the DBP Integrated Scholastic Program for Inclusive and Responsive Education (DBP INSPIRE), which is set to benefit 500 new scholars drawn from different regions across the archipelago.

De Jesus said the program is designed to bridge the gap for underprivileged but academically capable students, giving them a realistic pathway to complete their college education and contribute to national development. “Through the DBP INSPIRE program, we seek to bridge opportunities for more underprivileged students to fulfill their aspirations and support the Marcos Jr. Administration’s broader agenda of improving access to quality education,” he said, underscoring the bank’s commitment to social inclusion and human‑capital development.

DBP, the ninth‑largest bank in the Philippines with total assets of ₱1.041 trillion, channels its operations primarily toward four priority sectors: infrastructure and logistics; micro, small and medium enterprises; the environment; and social services and community development. The INSPIRE scholarship is positioned as a core part of its social‑services and community‑development mandate, aligning its financial heft with long‑term nation‑building.

The DBP INSPIRE program is a five‑year omnibus scholarship and support initiative launched in 2025 to provide financial assistance to college students enrolled in priority courses mapped to the Philippine Development Plan (2023–2028). These include Accountancy, Education, Engineering and related fields, Agriculture and Forestry, Sciences, Maritime, Information Technology, and Technical‑Vocational programs. For the second batch, the program is also extending support to newer, high‑impact courses such as marine biology, environmental sciences, and oceanography, reflecting the bank’s emphasis on sustainability and climate‑resilient skills.

Under the current allocation of ₱96.75 million, DBP will cover tuition and miscellaneous fees across all year levels for the selected scholars, in addition to living allowances to help with food, lodging, and study materials. The goal is not only to keep students in school but also to reduce dropout rates caused by economic hardship, particularly among students from low‑income households and geographically isolated communities.

For this second batch, DBP has partnered with 11 educational institutions nationwide, including six state universities and colleges (SUCs). These are Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila, Cebu Normal University, West Visayas State University, Mindanao State University – Tawi‑Tawi, Mindanao State University – Iligan Institute of Technology, and Jose Rizal Memorial State University – Dipolog. The inclusion of multiple SUCs ensures that the program reaches students in key urban and regional centers, while also strengthening public‑sector higher‑education institutions.

In addition, DBP has tapped five private higher education institutions to serve as partner schools. These are the University of Baguio, STI Education Services Group, Cebu Institute of Technology – University, Notre Dame of Marbel University, and Holy Child Central College, Inc. By engaging both public and private institutions, the program aims to broaden its reach and accommodate diverse academic tracks and regional needs.

De Jesus emphasized that education remains a cornerstone of DBP’s long‑term CSR strategy. The bank has already supported more than 5,000 scholars and allocated over ₱1.5 billion in combined educational initiatives since the launch of the DBP Endowment for Education Program (DEEP) in 2008 and the DBP Resources for Inclusive and Sustainable Education (DBP RISE) in 2018. INSPIRE is framed as the next evolutionary step, integrating and scaling these earlier programs into a unified, five‑year framework.

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“DBP recognizes the transformative power of education in uplifting the lives of our Filipino youth”, De Jesus said. “We will continue to support the National Government in advancing initiatives for younger generations to become globally competitive individuals and key contributors to economic growth and national progress”.

For students, educators, and local communities, the DBP INSPIRE program signals both a concrete financial commitment and a strategic vision: that investing in human capital especially in priority and future‑oriented disciplines can turn scholarships into long‑term social and economic returns for the country.