MARAWI CITY (PIA) — The Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation, and Unity (OPAPRU), in collaboration with the Task Force for Decommissioned Combatants and their Communities (TFDCC) and the Mindanao State University (MSU) System, has begun the implementation of an educational assistance program for children of Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) decommissioned combatants in Lanao del Sur province.
The initiative seeks to improve the quality of life for decommissioned combatants and their families by giving financial aid for their dependents’ higher education. Each eligible student-grantee will receive P25,000 per semester or P50,000 per year for four years to complete a bachelor’s degree program.
Presidential Peace Adviser Carlito Galvez Jr. led the ceremonial turnover of checks to 171 student-grantees on Tuesday, November 5, at the MSU Marawi Convention Center.
“OPAPRU recognizes the importance of investing in peace interventions to uplift the socio-economic conditions of the MILF and decommissioned combatants, their families, and communities, not only in the short term but for many years to come,” Galvez stated.
Recognizing that education is a main pillar of nation-building, Galvez emphasized that the educational assistance program is a critical socio-economic intervention by the national government, as outlined in the annex on the normalization of the Comprehensive Agreement with the Bangsamoro.
According to him, OPAPRU, in partnership with the MSU System, has already distributed a total of P13,100,000 to 524 student beneficiaries in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) and Regions 9, 10, 11, and 12.
“Through programs like this, we reaffirm the national government and MILF’s strong commitment to providing much-needed services to the decommissioned combatants and their next of kin, ensuring that they benefit from the dividends of peace and development,” Galvez emphasized.
Selection process
TFDCC Chairperson and Member of Parliament Laisa Alamia noted that the recipients of the educational support program are either the decommissioned combatants themselves or one of their dependents, as declared during the decommissioning process. The eligible dependents are limited to the decommissioned combatant’s spouse, kid, or grandchild, and they must present the requisite supporting documentation to show their link with the combatant.
Applications are called through MILF focal persons.
The TFDCC secretariat reviews applications to verify each applicant’s relationship to the decommissioned combatant and confirm current enrollment. After this, the list is submitted to the TFDCC for further vetting and then to the MILF for final approval, given the partnership between the MILF and TFDCC. Once the MILF has vetted the list, it is submitted to MSU for additional validation and assessment, as MSU also conducts its own validation process.
To qualify, beneficiaries must submit several documents, including a school-issued enrollment certificate, a PSA-authenticated birth certificate, an ID photocopy, a 2×2 photo, and a barangay certificate.
Alamia clarified that the grants are not disbursed directly to the school for tuition payment.
“It is given to the grantee directly at pwede niyang gamitin to either pay for his or her tuition or other fees or pambili ng uniform, pambili ng books at iba pang mga pangangailangan niya,” she said.
MSU as partner for peace
Alamia thanked the MSU System for its consistent support of the government’s educational assistance program and supporting the implementation of the normalization efforts.
MSU System President Basari Mapupuno expressed MSU’s pride as part of the initiative. He noted that the program is a big step forward in the transition process for former MILF combatants and their families. He emphasized that educational support is a powerful mechanism, helping young people to pursue their ambitions of a better life through higher education, even when difficult circumstances have prevented them from doing so alone.
“This is not only an investment in the individual future of these young people, but a contribution to the stability, growth, and resilience of their communities,” Mapupuno added. (APB/PIA-10 Lanao del Sur)
