Scholars, parents laud ARMM education assistance program

• Source: http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?nid=2&rid=789013
• Monday, August 3, 2015

(PNA),CTB/NYP/EOF

COTABATO CITY, Aug 3 (PNA) -- Parents and students in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) on Monday lauded the ARMM leadership for a special project that benefited poor but deserving students in the region.

“We are very thankful to the ARMM government since this scholarship program helped us a lot, especially to me because my parents can’t send me to school,” Sittie Haya Naga, a 22-year old scholar from Barangay Capiton, Datu Odin Sinsuat, Maguindanao said in the vernacular.

Naga, is a third year student at the Cotabato City State Polytechnic College taking up Bachelor of Science in Public Administration.

"I will study hard, earn degree and serve my people someday to repay the good deeds done for us poor children," Naga said in Filipino.

A 46-year-old farmer Abdilla Gintawan of Mamasapano, Maguindanao and father of Saguira Gintawan, recipient of ARMM scholarship program, said the educational assistance program really helped poor families in the province. He added education is better for poor Muslim children because "we have something to look up to in the years to come."

"I am happy and lucky my daughter was granted education assistance," Gintawan said in the vernacular. "I thought the government doesn't care for poor like us, I was wrong."

Through the region's "Empowering the Bangsamoro Region through Active Community Engagements in the ARMM (EMBRACE-ARMM)," the regional government has granted financial assistance to scholars in Maguindanao province.

More than a hundred beneficiaries received from the regional government stipend covering the first and second semesters for school year 2014-2015 at the Shariff Kabunsuan Cultural Complex in Cotabato City.

Releases of financial assistance to other scholars in the provinces of Lanao del Sur, Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi will take place this week.

Partial scholars received Php10,000 while full-scholars get Ph20,000.

According to John Louie Balagot, ARMM’s deputy executive secretary and concurrent EMBRACE-ARMM program manager, the regional government has earmarked a total of Php24 million for the scholarship.

To date, ARMM has assisted 1,539 students across the region.

Checks were handed over by Balagot, Atty. Rasol Mitmug Jr., ARMM’s chief of staff; Jo Guro, financial management officer of the Commission on Higher Education- ARMM; and Atty. Kirby Abdullah, assistant secretary for Maguindanao convergence.

The scholarship program dubbed ‘Academic Investment for Muslim Mindanao’ (AIMM) is known in the past as ‘Iskolar: Para sa Pagbabago, Para sa Bangsamoro’ (Scholar: agents for change, for Bangsamoro."

It aims at helping underprivileged students pursue college degrees. All valedictorian high school graduates from public and private schools in the region are automatic grante of AIMM scholarship.

“The scholarship grant was part of ARMM Governor Mujiv Hataman’s commitment to help poor but deserving students in the region especially those living in conflict-affected communities,” Balagot told reporters.

He said that it is up to the beneficiary to choose the course and school preference. AIMM program is closely monitoring the scholar’s performance.

"Graduates are expected to render at least two years of service, as qualified employee, to the ARMM after earning college degree,” Balagot said.