THE Office of the Chief Minister’s Marawi Rehabilitation Program (OCM-MRP) began distributing on Monday, February 9, 2026, a one-time cash assistance of P5,000 each to 1,500 high school students from internally displaced persons (IDP) families in Marawi City.
Said Shiek, a Member of Parliament in the Bangsamoro region and concurrent MRP manager, said the assistance is part of the program’s continuing efforts to help ease education-related expenses and keep displaced learners in school as Marawi’s long-term rehabilitation progresses.
Shiek said that during the initial distribution at the MRP management office, 300 high school students received their cash grants, while the remaining qualified beneficiaries are scheduled to receive their assistance in the coming days.
“As one of the mujahideen who fought for our rights for more than 40 years—and who will continue to fight for it for the sake of the younger generation—I hope this small assistance will help them, and future generations, reach their dreams,” Shiek said in a statement.
“The initiative reflects the gains of peace and the moral governance we now enjoy in the region,” he added.
Engineer Abdulhanif Ondi, MRP supervising head, said the education assistance program will extend beyond secondary students.
He said that 1,500 qualified college-level IDP students are set to receive P10,000 each this semester after the completion of payouts for high school beneficiaries.
In addition, 1,500 qualified IDP educators from both formal schools and madrasahs are earmarked to receive P5,000 in future distributions, while elementary-level IDP students will receive school supply kits at a later date.
The initiative forms part of the OCM-MRP’s broader mandate to assist internally displaced persons and strengthen access to education as a key pillar of Marawi’s post-conflict recovery and development. (SunStar Philippines)