Bangsamoro Government Distributes P63,000 Financial Aid to 2,000 MILF and MNLF Members
In a significant development for former combatants in the southern Philippines, a total of 2,000 members from the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) are set to receive substantial financial assistance. Each beneficiary will be granted P63,000 through the Office of the Bangsamoro Mujahideen under Special Circumstances (OBMUSC), marking a crucial step in supporting those who fought for self-determination.
Distribution Details and Beneficiary Breakdown
Bai Zaida Abid, the OBMUSC Benefit Availment Section chief, confirmed on Thursday, March 5, 2026, that the distribution of this third batch of payouts commenced on March 2 in Cotabato City. The financial aid represents a lump-sum payout equivalent to nine months of the P7,000 monthly cash assistance allocated for 2025, providing recipients with a substantial one-time support package.
The beneficiaries are distributed across various locations in Mindanao and Palawan, with the largest groups coming from:
- 676 beneficiaries from Cotabato City
- 472 beneficiaries from Marawi City
- 360 beneficiaries from Sulu
- 202 beneficiaries from Zamboanga City
- 115 beneficiaries from General Santos City
- 92 beneficiaries from Tawi-Tawi
- 62 beneficiaries from Davao City
- 21 beneficiaries from Palawan
Future Plans and Government Commitment
Looking ahead to 2026, the office anticipates distributing financial aid to an even larger cohort of 5,000 beneficiaries. This ambitious target includes 2,000 recipients for the first semester and 3,000 for the second semester, demonstrating the Bangsamoro Government's expanding commitment to supporting former combatants.
Abid expressed profound gratitude for the Mujahideen's contributions, stating, "We are happy to have witnessed the results of the assistance given to the Mujahideen. We are seeing that the aid from the Bangsamoro Government plays a vital role in their everyday lives." She further emphasized, "We are grateful to the Mujahideen because if it were not for them and their fight for our self-determination and rights, the Bangsamoro Government would have never come into being. We reassure that we will do our best to help them."
Legal Framework and Eligibility Criteria
The financial assistance program operates under the Bangsamoro Autonomy Act (BAA) 57, which establishes clear eligibility criteria. Benefits are available to senior citizens who turned 60 years old at least from the law's effectivity date, as well as permanently disabled Mujahideen. To qualify, individuals must have "meaningfully participated in the struggle for the right to self-determination of the Bangsamoro people between 1969 and 2019 for at least 20 years and are underprivileged."
Through OBMUSC, the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) provides this crucial financial assistance to senior citizens and permanently disabled MILF and MNLF members. This initiative reinforces the Bangsamoro Government's dedication to ensuring equal opportunities and access to basic necessities for its constituents, often implemented in coordination with the National Government to maximize impact and reach.
