Three Filipinos won an educational funding contest against thousands of applicants across Asia.
The British Council, an international organization for educational and cultural opportunities, said that the three Pinoys will receive funding or support in their pursuit of taking undergraduate or post-graduate studies in English-speaking universities overseas.
All applicants should have already taken the International English Language Testing System (IELTS), which is considered the gold standard in testing English proficiency, within the British Council.
The three IELTS Prize 2023 winners, therefore, are:
- Kaela Joselle Madrunio, MA Forensic Linguistics, Aston University, United Kingdom – as the Grand Prize winner, she will receive P350,000 (£5,000) worth of financial support
- Casey Anne Cruz, Masters of Arts Program in Human Rights, Mahidol University, Thailand – as the Second Prize winner, she will receive P139,000 (£2,000)
- Rafi Victoria Sartin, Master of Marketing, Western Sydney University, Australia – as the Third Prize winner, she will receive P64,000 (£1,000)
Madrunio, Cruz and Sartin surpassed over 1,700 applicants who are also IELTS test-takers in China, Japan, Hong Kong, Indonesia, South Korea, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nepal and Sri Lanka.
This feat, therefore, recognized the academic excellence of Filipinos in being part of the global IELTS community.
Lotus Postrado, Director Philippines expressed this in a statement.
“The IELTS Prize recognizes high-performing students who demonstrate academic excellence and commitment to their communities. We are thrilled to provide this opportunity to talented Filipinos. Through the IELTS Prize, we are able to support them in pursuing their dreams, grant them the freedom to travel, immerse themselves in new cultures, and become part of a global IELTS community,” Postrado said.
According to the website, to be considered an applicant, interested individuals should meet the following requirements:
- Should have accomplished an IELTS test within the British Council
- Received a minimum overall IELTS band score of 5.5 or above
- Should have the initiative or willingness to be a British Council IELTS ambassador
The IELTS, meanwhile, is a “test that measures the language proficiency of those who want to study or work in environments where English is used as a language of communication.”
It is being used by over 11,000 organizations, including universities and employers globally.