COTABATO CITY—A total of 184 recipients of Mujahideen Assistance for Science Education (MASE) Program, coming from the Bangsamoro region, Sibugay, Zamboanga del Sur and Davao City, took their oath and received cash assistance worth Php40,000.00 each from the Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST) on Wednesday.
MOST Minister Aida Silongan, Education Minister Mohagher Iqbal, and Muftih Abuhuraira A. Udasan led the awarding ceremony held at Ebrahim Hall Em Manor Hotel in this city.
The MASE Program is a cash assistance program of Member of Parliament Engr. Silongan under her Transitional Development Impact Fund (TDIF) supported by other MPs, and is anchored in MOST’s Science Education, Scholarships, and Grants (SESG) which supports the sons and daughters of combatants who are taking science and technology courses at any college level.
MOST Minister Silongan said that MASE is intended for the “children of the Mujahideen who are studying in remote areas and cannot compete with the students studying in colleges and universities in the city.”
“Meron ding regular program ang MOST kagaya ng Bangsamoro Assistance for Science Education (BASE) and BASE Merit, open sa lahat Bangsamoro, Indigenous Peoples (IPs) and Christians but they have to pass the qualifying examination at mataas ang general average na hindi bababa sa 85 percent,” Minister Silongan said.
“Ang BASE allowance ay parehas din ng MASE na nasa Php40,000.00 per semester. Ang BASE Merit allowance naman ay nasa 100,000 pesos per semester para sa mga special courses na hindi ino-offer sa atin tulad ng Marine, Aeronautical at Petroleum Engineering at ibang courses ino-offer lang sa UP, Cebu or Palawan kung saan Malaki-laki ang allowance na ibibigay natin,” she added.
Meanwhile, BARMM Chief Minister Ahod Ebrahim said: “For the young generation, the path has been paved, the BARMM government has been established, your priority now is get a proper education and of the mujahideen by giving back your services to the Bangsamoro individuals.”
Noraida A. Bara, 47, single mom and a member of Social Welfare Committee-Moro Islamic Liberation Front (SWC-MILF), said that she was thankful for the cash assistance that they have received from the government.
“Alhamdulillah. Sobra ang pasasalamat ko at napabilang ang anak ko sa mga grantees. Malaking tulong talaga sa aming mag-ina lalo na at civil engineering pa naman ang kurso nya. Sweeper lang trabaho ko, maraming salamat sa MOST at kay BARMM Chief Minister Ahod B. Ebrahim,” she said.
Junaisa Juanday, 21, a grantee taking up B.S Civil Engineering at Notre Dame University –Cotabato said, “big help po sa akin para mabayaran ko ang tuition fee ko at maka-focus sa study, at upang ma-maintain ang mataas na grado. Maraming salamat po kay Minister Aida Silongan at sa Bangsamoro Government.” (Majid Nur/BIO)
