MARAWI CITY (PIA)--A brighter future awaits another 182 students across the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) and other service-covered areas who took their oath, March 8, as scholars of the Mujahideen Assistance for Science Education (MASE) program.

Both parents and students were excited as they pledged their commitment to the P40,000 per semester in cash assistance courtesy of the MASE program implemented by the Ministry of Science and Technology.

"The initial amount of P24,000 we handed over today is good for three months, the remaining P16,000 for this semester will be downloaded to their bank account," said Rocaya Edres of MOST's Science Education Scholarship Grants.

MASE is a cash assistance program under the Transitional Development Impact Fund (TDIF) of Member of Parliament (MP) Engr. Aida Silongan, who is also the minister of MOST. The program is anchored to MOST’s Science Education, Scholarships, and Grants (SESG), which supports the sons and daughters of combatants who are taking science and technology courses at any college level. It is also supported by other MPs.

Silongan congratulated the students and their parents and reminded them that being a grantee is a rare opportunity.

She said the MASE is a stepping stone toward the success of the grantees and the Bangsamoro Government.

"As a MASE grantee, you were given a valuable opportunity to pursue your study without the burden of financial constraint," she added.

The MOST has laid out various mechanisms to ensure that grantees abide by the guidelines of the scholarship program. This includes the monitoring of their grades, where a failing grade could be grounds for delisting from the grant.

In June last year, MOST also conducted a mass oath-taking ceremony for the first 184 grantees under MASE, which means that the program now has 366 grantees. Minister Silongan said that they are always thinking of ways to let other MPs join the program through their TDIF so that they can get more people to join.

The source of funds for this batch was pledged by the following MPs: Lawyer Lanang Ali Jr., Suwaib Oranon, Lawyer Rasol Mitmug, Jr., Hatimil Hassan, Mujib Abu, Muslima Asmawil, Faiz Alaudin, Rasul Ismael, Abdullah Hashim, and Engr. Aida Silongan. (BIO/PIA-10/Lanao del Sur)