The country offers plenty of opportunities, not just for job seekers, but also for students who wish to pursue special training. For example, there’s the Filipino Young Farmers Internship Program in Taiwan (FYFIPT), which is designed for those who aspire to be farmer leaders and “agri-preneurs.”
Another training program that young Filipinos may apply for is the International Cadetship Program at Central Police University in Taoyuan City. Sponsored by the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office (TECO) in the Philippines, the program is designed for those who want to become part of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG). Cool!
What is the Central Police University Cadetship Program?
Central Police University (CPU) happens to be the highest educational institution for police education in the country. Located in Guishan District, Taoyuan City, it is an administrative agency under the Ministry of the Interior (MOI) of Taiwan.
As for the CPU Cadetship Program, it aims to build professional skills, academic knowledge, and networking among the officials of government law enforcement agencies. The undergraduate scholarship program covers formal education and training in many topics, including:
- Criminal Law;
- Engineering (Auxiliary Engine and Main Engine Generator);
- International Law;
- Marine Environmental Protection (Oil Spilling, Handling knowledge);
- Marine Environmental Science;
- Marine Physics;
- Nautical Meteorology;
- Navigation (Celestial Navigation, Geo Navigation, Navigation Equipment, and Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea);
- Ocean Observation and Research;
- Oceanography;
- Radar Communication (Marine Communication and Marine English); and
- United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
Program Benefits and Obligation
The scholarship covers the student’s tuition and miscellaneous fees, uniforms, accommodation, meals, monthly pay and allowances (TWD 17,515) for the entire duration of the program.
In turn, after completing the four-year program, the Cadet will be commissioned as a Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) Officer with the rank of ENSIGN. He/She will then be expected to render at least eight (8) years of service to the PCG.
Qualifications
To qualify for the CPU Cadetship Program, an applicant must:
- Be a natural born Filipino citizen;
- Be at least 17 years old but not more than 22 years old by the start of the program;
- Be at least 5’4” in height for males and 5’2” in height for females;
- Be medically and physically fir for swimming/scuba diving;
- Pass the PCG Physical Fitness Test (PFT) and Swimming Qualification Test (SQT);
- Be at least High School Graduate, with a General Weighted Average (GWA) of 90% above and no grades lower than 85%;
- Be single with no legal dependents;
- Have no derogatory records or legal impediments;
- Have excellent English language and communication skills; and
- Pass the American Language Course Placement Test (ALCPT) with a score of 85% or above.
Requirements
As for the documentary requirements, each applicant must prepare the following:
- Accomplished Application Form;
- Personal Information Sheet;
- Personal History Statement (PHS);
- Scanned copy of High School Report Card or College Transcript of Records (translated in English);
- Scanned copy of Birth Certificate issued by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA);
- Colored whole-body Picture on white background, wearing white t-shirt and maong (denim) pants;
- Essay stating reasons for joining the program, how they think the 4-year experience at Central Police University can help the PCG, and their expectations on a coast guard career.
NOTE: The Application Form and Personal Information Sheet may be downloaded from the PCG website. For the Personal Information Sheet, applicants need to provide personal information, family background, educational background, and other details.
As for their Personal History Statement (PHS), applicants also need to disclose their places of residence since birth, foreign countries visited, employment history, military history, membership to organizations, and information about arrest records and conduct, if applicable.
Process
Here is a step-by-step description of the CPU Cadetship Program application process:
- Submission of Applications. At least a year before the program starts, PCG announces a call for applications. A deadline for the submission of applications and requirements is set.
- Physical Fitness and Swimming Tests. Qualified applicants will be informed through call or text that they must undergo and pass the Physical Fitness Test (PFT) and Swimming Qualification Test (SQT) of the PCG.
- Language Test. After passing the PFT and SQT, applicants must take the American Language Course Placement Test (ALCPT) and pass it with a score of 85% or above.
- Interview with PCG and TECO. Those who meet the required scores for the PFT, SQT, and ALCPT will be interviewed by the PCG and the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office (TECO). Interviews will be done online.
- Selection of Final Nominees. The PCG Education and Training Board (PCGETB) conducts a deliberation and selects the final nominees for the program. Results will be forwarded to the Commandant of the PCG for approval, and eventually to TECO.
- Announcement of Admission. The list of final nominees is announced; they will be formally admitted to the scholarship program.
After the final nominees are announced, they will undergo registration, visa application, and oath-taking as PCG-CPU Cadets before departing for Taiwan. Moreover, prior to the Cadetship Program, they will undergo a six-month Mandarin Language Course in Taoyuan City, and pass the Test of Chinese as a Foreign Language (TOCFL).
Upon completing and passing the language course, the nominees will start their four-year program at Central Police University. Aside from taking formal education classes, they will undergo intensive swimming training and daily morning swimming exercises!
Contact Information: Philippine Coast Guard
If you want to know more about the Cadetship Program, you can contact the Office of the Deputy Chief of Coast Guard Staff for Education and Training at PCG through the following details:
Phone Numbers: (02) 8527 8481 local 6431 / +639 1524 135 83
Email: cg12.cadetship@gmail.com / cg12.aocetd@gmail.com
As you can see the application and admission process to the Central Police University Cadetship Program is very strict; only the best, the brightest, and the most qualified are chosen! This is necessary, since the actual training is rigorous, with daily physical and mental exercises… not to mention the need to learn Mandarin language!
If you have always dreamed of being part of the Philippine Coast Guard, and you think you have what it takes to rise in the ranks… consider joining this Cadetship Program! Meanwhile, you can also check out this list of other scholarships and training grants for OFWs and their families.