Golf tournament raises funds for Eastern Samar scholars

TACLOBAN CITY — What appears to be a gathering of friends is actually an annual golf tournament initiated by former Eastern Samar Gov. Ben Evardone to raise funds to help more students earn college degrees.

Now in its fourth year, the fundraising tournament drew 125 participants at the Valley Golf and Country Club on October 15.

The event, led by Gov. Ralph Vincent Evardone, former Gov. Ben P. Evardone, Valley Golf and Country Club Vice President Cecile Esguerra and Cesar Montano, among others, aims to raise funds to sustain the provincial government's Isang Propesyonal, Isang Pamilya Program (IPIPP).

The program aims to produce at least one professional in every family across the province by providing each scholar with a stipend of P15,000 per semester, or P30,000 annually. The provincial government also assists graduates of the program in finding employment.

Proceeds from the tournament augment the P18 million allocated by the provincial government for the program.

Former Gov. Ben Evardone said the program was inspired by his own experience of seeing many of his childhood peers unable to finish college because of financial difficulties.

“If we can have at least one professional in every family who can support his siblings to also finish college, this will definitely reduce poverty incidence of the province,” he said.

The program was launched in 2022, initially benefiting scholars from the province's 54 poorest barangays. It has since expanded, enrolling 2,568 scholars since its launch.

The program has so far produced 419 graduates, all of whom are the first professionals in their respective families.

Through the annual golf tournament, the Waray-Waray Golfers Club Association contributed P2 million to the program in 2023, P1.5 million in 2024 and P3 million in 2025.