MARAWI CITY, Lanao del Sur, June 12 (PIA) --- The Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) marked the 116th Philippine Independence Day celebration today with the release of the initial stipend of at least 95 scholars and the planting of trees at a watershed in Maguindanao.
ARMM Governor Mujiv S. Hataman said the Filipino struggle for freedom lives on to this day and the leaders of our time must aspire to free people from what he considers to be the equivalent of colonialism and oppression – poverty, conflict, illiteracy and a host of other challenges to development.
At least 95 recipients of ARMM’s “Iskolar ng Bayan” scholarship program from Maguindanao received their stipend for this school semester, amounting to P10,000 each for those with full scholarship and P5,000 each for those with partial scholarship.
“We want to free these students and their family from poverty by helping ease the burden of college education,” he said.
One of the scholars, 22-year old Angeline Luna Ramos is pursuing a master’s degree on education at the Basilan State College after finishing her undergrad in the same school cum laude. She said her father’s income as a mechanic can barely support their family.
“He’s lucky if he can earn at least P1,000 in a week,” she said. “We are thankful to the ARMM government for the scholarship.”
Following the distribution of scholarship stipends, officials of the region and hundreds of employees proceeded to a watershed in the town of Parang, Maguindanao to plant at least 2,000 tree seedlings. (Bureau of Public Information/PIA-10)
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