GENERAL SANTOS CITY — Over thirteen thousand students covered by the state’s Conditional Cash Transfer in Central Mindanao will graduate this year under K-12 program.

Gemma Rivera, assistant regional director of Department of Social Welfare and Development 12, reported Tuesday that based on the agency’s data-based around 2,298 Senior High School students will graduate in the province of Sultan Kudarat; 3,384 in South Cotabato;  1,812 in Sarangani;  4,406 for North Cotabato; 580 in Cotabato City; and 183 in Marawi City in Lanao del Sur.

“It’s harvest time. We are happy for the achievements of these students,” she said.

Dennis Domingo,  regional information officer, said workers on the ground are trying to find out who among them have academic awards for documentation.

“We will showcase the stories of those who have awards so that it will be a source of inspiration for other students in the program,” he said.

The K-12 program, fully implemented in 2016 by the previous administration, dictates a year of kindergarten, six years of elementary school, four years of junior high school, and two years of senior high school.

The program aims to make the country’s education system at par with other more developed countries, despite additional cost to families and problems on educational infrastructure. (JBM/DSWD)