The Mindanao State University-Maguindanao (MSU-Maguindanao), the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation, and Unity (OPAPRU), and the Moro National Liberation Front Government of the Philippines (MNLF GPH) Committee recently inaugurated the P20 million MNLF Transformation Study Grant Program. This initiative, designed to support the peace process in the Bangsamoro region, began with a series of orientations and beneficiary validations in Mindanao.
Under the leadership of MSU-Maguindanao Chancellor Bai Hejira Nefertiti M. Limbona, OPAPRU Secretary Carlito G. Galvez, Jr., and the MNLF GPH Management Committee, the program validated 278 beneficiaries across key Mindanao locations. These areas included General Santos, South Cotabato, Maguindanao del Sur, Cotabato City, Maguindanao del Norte, Basilan, Zamboanga, Lanao del Norte, Lanao del Sur, North Cotabato, and Davao City. The sessions, held on October 5, 6, 13, 20, and 24, 2024, aim to empower former MNLF members to rebuild their lives and communities through education and skill-building.
The Institute for Peace and Development in Mindanao (IPDM) and the Technical Working Group (TWG) from MSU-Maguindanao facilitated these sessions, underlining the transformative power of education for communities impacted by decades of conflict.
Expressing support for the project, OPAPRU’s MNLF Peace Process Office Director, Ms. Janna Jill Gallardo, addressed the beneficiaries, reiterating OPAPRU’s commitment to peace through education and socio-economic support. Information sessions covered application requirements, policies, cash release processes, and other program activities, creating a collaborative environment for the beneficiaries to engage and ask questions.
Representatives from MSU-Maguindanao and OPAPRU, alongside key MNLF leaders like Mr. Naguib Solano, Retired Brigadier General Buenaventura Pascual, and Mr. Alexis Dale Alonto Malna, Chair of Community Healing and Reconciliation, underscored the program’s mission. They spoke about the importance of unity, healing, and progress within the MNLF community, framing education as essential for sustainable peace.
In a symbolic gesture, validated beneficiaries received educational kits, marking the program’s commitment to their academic pursuits. The orientations signify a milestone for the MNLF Transformation Program, providing not only financial support but a pathway to hope and growth for communities long affected by conflict.
The Peace Formation Sessions, slated for December 2024 to January 2025, will continue the project’s implementation, reinforcing its goal to foster unity and progress through education and community support in the Bangsamoro region.
