The path to lasting peace in Mindanao is being paved through education, as a new generation of Bangsamoro youth receives critical support. In a significant step under the national normalization program, 1,767 sons and daughters of former Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) combatants were granted financial educational assistance.
Scholarship Turnover Marks Milestone for Peace
The distribution event took place on December 10, 2025, at the KCC Mall in Cotabato City. Each beneficiary received PHP 25,000 to cover matriculation and other school fees for one semester. This payout is the first tranche of a much larger commitment under the Task Force for Decommissioned Combatants and their Communities’ (TFDCC) Education Assistance Program (EAP).
Leading the ceremony were Presidential Assistant David Diciano from the OPAPRU Bangsamoro Transformation Office and Director Miramel Garcia-Laxa of the DSWD's Peace and Development Buong Bansa Mapayapa (PDBBM) program. Diciano emphasized the program's deeper meaning, stating it shows the government's determination to fulfill its socioeconomic commitments under the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB).
A Comprehensive Four-Year Commitment
The initial PHP 25,000 is just the beginning. Funded by the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity (OPAPRU) and implemented through the DSWD, each student-beneficiary is set to receive a total of PHP 200,000 to finance their entire four-year college course.
For the current school year 2025-2026, the program has expanded to support 6,050 students nationwide. The Mindanao State University (MSU) will manage 3,400 of these grantees, while the DSWD oversees the remaining 2,650. The recent beneficiaries hailed from Cotabato City, Koronadal City, and the Municipality of Kabacan in North Cotabato.
To ensure transparency and proper targeting, all qualified beneficiaries underwent a rigorous four-step screening process conducted by DSWD case managers. This process included identity verification, document checks, and the final payout.
Building a Peaceful and Prosperous Future
The impact of this scholarship program extends beyond the classroom. By fully covering the cost of a college degree, it alleviates a major financial burden from the families of decommissioned combatants. This allows family finances to be redirected toward other essential needs, fostering greater economic stability within their communities.
The TFDCC, a joint body of the Philippine government and the MILF, is a key peace mechanism tasked with implementing the Normalization Program. Its composition includes OPAPRU, the DSWD, the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), and the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE). The EAP is a cornerstone of its mission to help former fighters transition successfully into peaceful and productive civilian lives.
Also present at the event were OPAPRU Director Anna Pacete, Program Manager Vincent Parreñas, and PDBBM Region 12 Coordinator Sora Pandi-Guialel, underscoring the multi-agency commitment to this transformative initiative.
