MSSD-BARMM Provides Cash Assistance to 30 Indigent Students in Ligawasan, SGA
COTABATO CITY (March 24, 2025) — The Ministry of Social Services and Development (MSSD) under the “Angat Bangsamoro: Kabataan Tungo sa Karunungan” (ABaKa) Program has extended financial assistance to 30 indigent college students in the newly integrated Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) territory in Ligawasan municipality. On March 12, 2025, at the MSSD Ligawasan Unit Office, each beneficiary was granted P10,000 to help cover their school-related expenses.
According to the MSSD’s social media page, the assistance aims to alleviate the financial burden of students from indigent families.
“The allowance is intended for their school-related expenses,” the MSSD stated.
Further elaborating on the program’s impact, the MSSD emphasized that the initiative empowers impoverished students by supporting their educational pursuits, ultimately striving to break the cycle of poverty in the BARMM region.
The 63 barangays across six municipalities in Cotabato Province—Carmen, Kabacan, Pikit, Aleosan, Midsayap, and Pigcawayan—were officially integrated into BARMM as part of the Special Geographic Area (SGA) following the 2019 plebiscite.
In 2024, the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA) successfully facilitated the creation of eight new municipalities through enabling legislation, followed by a plebiscite. The appointments of acting mayors, vice mayors, and Sangguniang Bayan members followed, further solidifying the integration of these communities into the BARMM governance structure. (USM BSIR OJT Student: Melody N. Flores, BMN/BangsamoroToday)
