Two years since the siege, Marawi City is onwards to its full recovery.
Providing a boost to its resurgence is the Department of Science and Technology – Science Education Institute’s (DOST-SEI) Bangon Marawi Program in Science and Technology Human Resource Development (STHRD), which recently awarded a total of 207 scholarships in the undergraduate and graduate levels for students from the city.
A total of 177 Bachelor of Science (BS), 27 Master of Science (MS), and three Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) qualifiers under the Batch 2 of the Bangon Marawi Program in STHRD was approved by DOST Secretary Fortunato T. de la Peña last September 5, 2019. Most of these qualifiers then signed the Scholarship Agreement on October 16 at the Mindanao State University-Main Campus in Marawi City.
DOST-SEI Director, Dr. Josette T. Biyo, led in orientating the qualifiers on the scholarship policies. Once documentary requirements have been validated, the newly hailed scholars will begin receiving financial assistance such as monthly stipend and book allowance for the First Semester AY 2019-2020. These will be released through the Project Coordinator at MSU – Iligan Institute of Technology in Iligan City.
Dr. Henry P. Aringa, Project Leader of the Program at MSU-Marawi, lauded DOST-SEI’s efforts in helping build back the once progressing city. He urged the qualifiers to maximize the opportunity by pursuing excellence in their studies and later on serve the city.
Biyo likewise congratulated the grantees and urged them to finish their courses to help their families recover from the impacts of the siege. “This program seeks to have a long-term effect on your city as we want you to be the ones to spark the rehabilitation of human and social infrastructures of Marawi,” she remarked.
Biyo also mentioned that the DOST-SEI provided a Learning Resource Center (LRC) not only for the scholars under the Bangon Marawi Program but for all DOST Scholars under the RA 7687, RA 10612, and Merit Scholarship Programs, as well as for graduate scholars under the Science and Technology Regional Alliance for National Development (Project STRAND). The LRC, which began operation last September 27, is equipped with 15 desktop computers, a laptop, and a printer/scanner that can be used for academic research, tutorials, and other activities.
The Program, which began early 2018, was able to help hundreds of affected students pursue their studies. Notably, out of the 217 BS, 20 MS, and 10 Ph.D. scholars from the first batch of beneficiaries, 131 have already graduated of which three and nine earned Magna cum laude and Cum laude honors, respectively.
“This is proof that despite the damages brought about by the siege, the people of Marawi have remained strong and hopeful. In the next few years, we believe that the Bangon Marawi scholars are already equipped with the knowledge and skills to bring a new dawn to Marawi,” Biyo said.
