Bangsamoro Spokesperson Mohd Asnin Pendatun during the Usapang Bangsamoro press conference on Aug. 7, 2024 in Cotabato City. (Hamdan Badrudin/BIO)
COTABATO CITY—The Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) Government is intensifying its efforts to provide educational opportunities for its youth through various scholarship programs.
This was highlighted by Bangsamoro Spokesperson Mohd Asnin Pendatun during the Usapang Bangsamoro press conference on Aug. 7, 2024, held at the Bangsamoro Government Center (BGC) in this city.
Pendatun, who also serves as a Cabinet Secretary, announced that thousands of students are benefiting from the Access to Higher and Modern Education-Scholarship Program (AHME-SP) and 902 from the Bangsamoro Assistance for Science Education (BASE).
The AHME-SP, which is allocated P277 million, aims to enhance the quality of life for Bangsamoro by supporting at least one professional per family. The program, implemented by the Ministry of Basic, Higher, and Technical Education (MBHTE), provides P60,000 per student per academic year to qualified beneficiaries enrolled in BARMM Regional Priority Programs.
“We encourage Bangsamoro people to take advantage of the opportunities of various scholarship programs implemented by ministries across the region. It was implemented to give a chance to learners who are deprived of quality education due to poverty,” he added
Pendatun also highlighted the achievements of the AHME-SP 1st Cohort Scholars for the 2023-2024 academic year, who were honored with Latin awards from their respective alma maters. A total of 1,400 scholars graduated on April 18, 2024 in Cotabato City.
“We are proud of the positive impact these programs have had. Some scholars graduated with special awards, demonstrating that we are achieving our goal of having Bangsamoro youth serve as catalysts for community development,” he emphasized.
Another significant initiative, the BASE program, implemented by the Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST), aims to inspire and support Bangsamoro youth, especially incoming first-year students, in pursuing careers in science and technology.
In addition, the spokesperson highlighted other Bangsamoro initiatives providing basic needs to grassroots areas affected by natural disasters, such as the Ministry of Social Services and Development (MSSD), Project Tulong Alay sa Bangsamorong Nangangailangan (TABANG) and Ayudang Medikal mula sa Bangsamoro Government (AMBaG). (Johaira Sahidala/BIO)
