Rafe Totengco Scholarship

The Rafe Totengco College Scholarship Grant is given by Rafé Totengco, a New York-based Filipino fashion designer who specializes in women’s handbags, shoes, and small leather goods, and men’s bags and accessories. In the late 1990s and through the 2000s, he garnered a number of awards for his designs.

He grew up in Bacolod City, Philippines. Even in elementary school, he began modifying his school uniform and going to tailors to have new clothes made for himself and his friends and family. Most Filipino fashionistas remember Rafe for Schizo, a clothing and accessories business under Sari-sari store in Manila. He was only 18 then and with no formal training in fashion. Unsatisfied he wanted to expand his horizons and soon enough, he went to New York where he enrolled in FIT (Fashion Institute of Technology) evening school in fashion while supporting himself as a design assistant.

Late of last year, Team Manila and Marie Claire magazine asked Rafe Totengco to design a men’s and women’s t-shirts for a foundation of his own choice. He chose the Tapulanga Foundation, specifically the scholarship program. The shirts are being sold for Php1,500 and 45% goes to the foundation’s project. This successful project made the Rafe Totengco College Scholarship Grant possible.

Congratulations Mia Joy Villaneuva for being the recipient of the Rafe Totengco College Scholarship Grant, a four year college scholarship grant. Mia plans to take up Bachelor of Science in Education in either the University of St. La Salle, Bacolod City or CHMSI, Talisay City.