To improve educational system and empower students, the
Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) has distributed PHP11.3 million
worth of educational and livelihood assistance to students and cooperatives in
the region, officials on Tuesday said.
The aid extended is under the government’s Payapa at
Masaganang Pamayanan (PAMANA) program of the region.
Dong Anayatin, PAMANA-ARMM program manager, said about 759
students received educational assistance amounting to PHP10,000 each for
college students and PHP5,000 each for high school students. The beneficiaries
are children, or immediate relatives, of Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF)
members in Maguindanao and Sulu.
According to Anayatin, the educational assistance was from
the region's 2014 budget. He said it was a one-time grant and the beneficiaries
were extensively chosen and recommendations of MNLF cooperative chairpersons
were considered.
Under the program, Anayatin said ARMM is aiming to help
3,200 college students and 2,073 high school students across the region. Other
beneficiaries will get their educational assistance before the year ens.
One of the beneficiary, Najma Dimaporo, 17, a resident of
Matanog, Maguindanao, said that she will use the educational assistance she
received for her school fees.
"I will use the assistance for my enrollment. Because
of this, we can save money and I can help my family,” she told reporters.
"I hope the ARMM government continue this initiative to
help more people,” said Dimaporo who is a first year student of the Cotabato City State Polytechnic College
Anayatin said the livelihood assistance was composed of 11
units of six-wheeler hauler trucks. These were given to three cooperatives in
Maguindanao and eight cooperatives in Sulu.
Anayatin identified the cooperative-beneficiaries as MNLF
Agribusiness Cooperative, Ganasi Kandalamdinga Marketing Cooperative, and
Malangit MNLF Farmers Marketing Cooperative in Maguindanao; and Buhanginan
Agri-Marine Producers Cooperative, Sahabat Agri-Marine Producers Cooperative,
Kausawan Agricultural Producers Cooperative, Shareif Agri-Marine Producers
Cooperative, Buansa Agri-Marine Producers Cooperative, Suba-Suba Producers
Cooperative, Bandang Agri-Marine Producers Cooperative, and Darayan Agri-Marine
Producers Cooperative in Sulu.
Datu Halun Amilussin, 64, representative of Buansa
Agri-Marine Producers Cooperative in Indanan, Sulu, said the hauler-truck his
group received will help uplift the lives of the people in his barangay.
"We will use the truck to help small businesses in our
barangay. Most of us are jobless and this will help not only our cooperative
but also our barangay,” said Datu Halun.
Datu Halun is a father of eight and has been an MNLF member
for decades. He thanked ARMM Governor Mujiv Hataman for this initiative.
"We would like to thank Governor Hataman for this project. We have waited
long and this is the first time that we receive such project since the creation
of our cooperative in 2011,” he said.
The livelihood assistance was implemented by the region’s
Agriculture and Fisheries Department (DAF-ARMM). He said that it is a
continuing activity of partner agencies in the region.
ARMM Governor Mujiv Hataman with Anayatin, and Atty. Laisa
Alamia, ARMM executive secretary and concurrent officer-in-charge of DAF-ARMM,
led the distribution of educational and livelihood assistance on December 3 at
this city’s ARMM compound.
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=835480
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