FLP expanding into prosperity

The Foundation for Liberty and Prosperity (FLP), in partnership with the Metro Pacific Investments Corporation (MPIC) thru the Metro Pacific Investments Foundation, is expanding its reach this school year to the “prosperity” side of its philosophy with the recent launching of a new education program called “Esmel Fellowships.”

AT P450,000 PER GRANTEE (P350,000 for tuition and P100,000 for books and stipend), these fellowships will be awarded to five qualified applicants enrolled in Master of Business Administration or Master of Science (or their equivalents) major in entrepreneurship, sustainability, management, economics and/or business law, abbreviated as “Esmel.” Since they are merit-based, the grants could be awarded even to those already holding fellowships from other entities.

For this school year, the grants would be limited to the “Esmel” graduate courses at the Asian Institute of Management, Ateneo de Manila, De La Salle University, University of the Philippines, and University of Santo Tomas.

MOREOVER, THE FLP WILL CONTINUE ITS (1) Legal Scholarship Program, in partnership with the Tan Yan Kee Foundation and (2) Dissertation Writing Contest, in partnership with the Ayala Corporation.

Now on its sixth year, the FLP Legal Scholarship Program is also merit-based and awards at least 20 of the best and the brightest law students in the country with P200,000 each divided into P100,000 for tuition, P20,000 for books, and P80,000 for monthly stipends.

It is open to all third and fourth year students of law schools that have obtained a passing rate above the overall percentage of passing in the last bar exam based on the statistical data from the Office of the Bar Confidant of the Supreme Court.

On the other hand, the FLP Dissertation Writing Contest aims to augment existing literature on the Foundation’s core philosophy of liberty and prosperity under the rule of law. The contest is open to third year and fourth year law students and those taking Master of Laws.

The selection of the Esmel fellows, law scholars, and dissertation winners will be undertaken by separate and independent boards of judges for each of the programs. For the Rules of these selections, please visit the FLP website, libpros.com.

LAST SCHOOL YEAR, CHIEF JUSTICE ALEXANDER G. GESMUNDO chaired the board of judges of the FLP Legal Scholarship Program, while Senior Justice Estela M. Perlas-Bernabe chaired the board of judges of the FLP Dissertation Writing Contest.

For the same school year, FLP awarded scholarships to 21 law students. Ten of them were third year law students Allan Crisostomo (FEU), Cecilia Joahna Laza (St. Louis U), Anton Gabriel Leron (UP), Mary Therese Maurin (U of Cebu), Louis-Mari Opina (UST), Daverick Angelito Pacumio (UST), Ma. Paula Ramos (U of Cordilleras), Robert Jhon Salazar (FEU), Erielle Sibayan (U of Cordilleras), and Shalimar Hillary Taongan (DLSU- Manila).

The 11 fourth year law students were William Christian Dela Cruz (Father Saturnino Urios U), Ricka Abigael Dumelod (UST), Florida Fomaneg (UP), Rowell Nico Macalino (ADMU), Joy Francine Mappang (U of Cordilleras), Geremae Mata (USC), Carlo Angelo Negado (USC), Laurence Obaob (USC), Jani Omamalin (USC), George Mariano Soriano (UP), and Mark Stephen Sy (ADMU).

On the other hand, the winners of the Dissertation Writing Contest for the same school year were Lord Jay-em Cuntapay (ADMU), first prize of P320,000 cash; Eunice Baliong (USC), second prize of P220,000. Three third placers, each winning P120,000, were: Christianne Noelle De Vera (DLSU), Trisha Aliya Dulanas (USC), and Catherine Joy Lim (ADMU). The winning dissertations can be accessed also at www.libpros.com.

The FLP was founded in 2011 to perpetuate its core judicial philosophy to safeguard liberty and nurture prosperity under the rule of law. Its board of trustees is composed of former education secretary Edilberto de Jesus, retired Supreme Court justice Angelina Sandoval-Gutierrez, former Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas governor Amando M. Tetangco, Jr., lawyer Joel Emerson Gregorio, Prof. Elenita C. Panganiban, Maria Elena P.S. Yaptangco, and lawyer Sean James Borja, with yours truly as chair.

The ultimate FLP projects are the establishment of an immersive and interactive Museum for Liberty and Prosperity (for the liberty side) and of a multi-billion-peso Entrepreneurship Fund (on the prosperity side), which is a program to help the poor help themselves through private entrepreneurship.

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