The Quezon City government has awarded scholarship grants worth P42.5 million to 5,000 poor but deserving students at the Quezon City Polytechnic University (QCPU).

Quezon City Mayor Feliciano Belmonte Jr. described the grants as a “golden opportunity’’ to bridge the gap between the rich and the poor.

“What the city government is doing right now is helping our graduates in the city’s public high schools prepare themselves on how to become globally competitive,’’ Belmonte said.

Underscoring the demand for skilled workers globally, Belmonte said the city government also provides scholarships to deserving students enrolled in vocational and technical courses.

In the latest count, the city government has so far given educational grants to 10,885 students mostly enrolled at the QCPU under its Scholarship and Youth Development Program (SYDP).

Scholars are given monthly stipends of P1, 500 every semester while additional incentives of P2, 500 are provided for students with lofty academic grades per semester.