COTABATO CITY – The Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) will be providing scholarships to top high school graduates in the region starting June 2015 as part of the regional government’s educational assistance to deserving youths.

John Louie Balagot, regional governor Mujiv S. Hataman’s deputy executive secretary, said all valedictorian high school graduates from public and private schools  in the region are eligible to avail of the ARMM’s Academic Investment for Muslim Mindanao (AIMM) scholarship.

More than 400 top graduates are expected to benefit from the scholarship program this coming academic year.

“Ang gusto ng ating Regional Governor Mujiv S. Hataman ay mabigyan ng direct assistance ang ating mga deserving na kababayan to ensure their college schooling (Gov. Mujiv S. Hataman wants direct assistance extended to deserving students to ensure their college education),” Balagot said.

Norombai Utto, 17, class valedictorian of Hadji Salik Kalaing National High School was in the first batch of recipients of AIMM scholarship. Utto, who lives with her aunt due to financial constraints, will receive P10,000 every semester for four years in college.

Planning to take Bachelor of Science in Education at the Mindanao State University (MSU) – Maguindanao, she expressed gratitude for the scholarship granted by the ARMM government.

“Malaking tulong po talaga sa aming pamilya ang scholarship na binigay ni Governor Hataman (The scholarship made possible by Gov. Hataman is of great help to us),” she said.

Utto added she will strive more as a scholar in response to the regional government’s support for her college education.

Meanwhile, ISKOLAR – the flagship scholarship program of the regional government that started in 2012 continues to provide educational assistance to 593 beneficiaries.

Full-merit undergraduate scholars numbering 234, and half-merit scholars, now at 302, receive P10,000 and P5,000, respectively, every semester to defray their expenses. Assistance amounting to P10,000 is also given to 57 graduate degree program beneficiaries.

“We are doing our best in order to provide assistance to our constituents,” Balagot said. He emphasized the scholarship program’s benefits entail responsibilities and compliance with requirements by the beneficiaries for timely and full enjoyment of their scholarships.

“We would like to underscore that this program is a partnership between the ARMM government and the students themselves. We are monitoring their performance from time to time,” Balagot added.

A memorandum of agreement has to be signed by the scholars “because we also want them to be responsible,” he said. (Bureau of Public Information)

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