COTABATO CITY – The new education leadership in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) has programmed the initial granting of P50,000 financial assistance each to local elementary and secondary schools in the region to enable them to initiate soft programs to improve teaching-learning process.

This was announced here recently by new Muslim Mindanao regional education secretary Makil U. Pundaodaya who said the move is a part of the region’s school financial and budget management program designed to strengthen the fiscal condition of local institutions of learning.

Pundaodaya explained through ARMM regional education assistant secretary Macalinog Saligoin that the amount is in addition to the financial grant extended to each school by the national Department of Education (DepEd).

The proposed cash assistance, Saligoin said, will be partly secured from the ongoing Basic Education Assistance for Mindanao (BEAM) program financed by the Australian Assistance for International Development (AusAID) which is undertaken in the three Muslim-Christian populated regions of Southern Mindanao (Region 11), Central Mindanao (Region 12) and ARMM.

Saligoin said the ARMM education office will also solicit appropriate fund from the office of ARMM acting Gov. Ansarrudin Alonto-Adiong who has directed the regional education department to initiate necessary programs and activities to raise the quality of basic education in Muslim Mindanao whose elementary and secondary school students have long been registering poor academic performance in DepEd national achievement tests for the past several years.

According to Saligoin, the P50,000 cash aid will be directly downloaded to concerned elementary and secondary school principals who will properly disburse the amount for necessary instructional activities.