By Priam Nepomuceno
MANILA – The Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity (OPAPRU) has announced the resumption of the distribution of “Educational Assistance Program” (EAP) allowance for the next-of-kin and dependents of decommissioned combatants of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).
Citing records from the Government of the Philippines (GPP)-MILF Task Force for Decommissioned Combatants and their Communities (TFDCC), OPAPRU, in a statement Sunday night, said distribution of the EAP started last week.
Of the 1,028 approved grantees in the program’s first batch, 303 have already received their full PHP50,000 grant.
The grant covers tuition, books, allowances and other academic expenses for one academic year, which is equivalent to two semesters.
The OPAPRU said the remaining 725 grantees will receive their grants in two equal tranches of PHP25,000.
The TFDCC explained that initial transfers were reverted to Mindanao State University (MSU)–Marawi for reprocessing after the beneficiaries’ LANDBANK PISO accounts exceeded the allowable monthly credit limit of PHP 50,000
Grantees will be directly notified once the release schedule is finalized.
“Concurrently, the OPAPRU and the TFDCC are reviewing beneficiary account mechanisms to prevent similar banking bottlenecks in future distribution cycles,” the statement added.
The EAP, which was launched in 2024, is being implemented through the GPH-MILF TFDCC, together with the Department of Social Welfare and Development and its partner institutions, which include MSU-Marawi and General Santos.
Under the Normalization Track, decommissioned MILF combatants and their families are being provided with various socioeconomic assistance to help them make the transition as peaceful and productive civilians.
