Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa expressed his support for the move to increase the budget for scholarships for children of combatants to improve the overall peace situation in the country.
During the 2026 budget deliberation for the Office of the Presidential Adviser for Peace, Reconciliation and Unity (OPAPRU) led by Dela Rosa as the Chairperson of Senate Committee on Finance Subcommittee E, Senator Loren Legarda urged the committee to provide additional funding for the program to possibly increase the amount received per student, which currently stands at P50,000 per year, as well as to increase the number of beneficiaries.
Dela Rosa said he is supportive of this suggestion as he recalled his experience as a full scholar at the Mindanao State University (MSU) – Marawi for three years before he entered the Philippine Military Academy in 1982.
“Yung aming allowance is P300 a month, ang laking bagay na yun sa panahon na yun. May P300 ka, pag uwi ko ng Davao during vacation ang dami ko pang dalang pera, maka grocery pa ako doon sa Davao City. Makabili ako ng isang lata ng biscuit, ‘yung Rebisco isang lata, bibilhin ko ‘yan doon sa Gaisano. Pag sakay ko ng bus pauwi ng Bato, Sta. Cruz, Davao del Sur, pag baba ko ng bus grabe na ‘yung smile ng mga kapatid kong nag salubong sa akin dahil ang laki eh, isang lata ng biscuit ‘yung dala dala ko dahil iskolar ako ng MSU,” the veteran legislator recalled.
“Kung talagang tutukan natin ito, hindi lang ‘yung mga anak ng rebeldeng Muslim ang makikinabang, pati ‘yung mga Kristiyano, mga Lumad na nandoon sa, hindi lang Mindanao.”
“Sabi ko bahala na sige gyera doon…Nag aaral kami, gyera ang army at saka MNLF, dapa kami sa dorm, pagkatapos ng putukan, papasok na ako sa eskwelahan, kukunin ko yung pantalon ko para suotin, pag tingin ko sa pantalon ko puro butas butas na tinamaan ng bala…Alam mo kung talagang tutukan natin ito, hindi lang ‘yung mga anak ng rebeldeng Muslim ang makikinabang, pati ‘yung mga Kristiyano, mga Lumad na nandoon sa, hindi lang Mindanao, pati mga taga Palawan, meron pa ngang taga Manila na nag a-avail ng scholarship ng MSU Marawi. Ang daming makikinabang nito…kaya Chairman (Gatchalian) pakinggan mo ‘yung aming kuwan, dagdagan din natin,” the seasoned lawmaker added.
Legarda also moved to increase the coverage from only one, as currently implemented, to all children of combatants and urged OPAPRU Secretary Carlito Galvez to submit the revised computation to the committee.
“Just to summarize and make sure we understand, we will ask for the list of scholarships in all state universities and LGU colleges in the BARMM region and the beneficiaries who are children of school age, SUC college age of…combatants and Indigenous Peoples…You’ll submit it to the chair and he committed to fully fund the scholarship program of 50 thousand (pesos) per student per year,” the lady senator said.
Senator Win Gatchalian, Committee on Finance chairperson, committed the increase and highlighted its impact to the future of the people in the region.
“Maganda ‘yun, kasi they are thinking po of the future eh. Kaya, I agree with Senator Loren, maganda ‘yung proposal niya. Hindi naman para sa kanila ito eh, para sa mga anak nila ito eh. ‘Yun ‘yung tinitignan nila kaya imagine, in exchange for peace is education. So, we need to fund that,” Gatchalian said.
Dela Rosa also emphasized that the additional funding will not be too much, comparing it to the anomalous flood control projects.
“Alam mo, isang ghost flood control project lang ‘yan ng Bulacan, tanggalin natin, ilagay natin sa OPAPRU. Isang flood control project lang ‘yan,” the former top cop said.
“We can’t go wrong with scholarship.”
Legarda agreed, saying, “We can’t go wrong with scholarship. Narinig ko sa hearing kanina mina-mark up daw ng DPWH, hindi lang ng Bulacan, nationwide, 30% ang mga projects. Oh ‘di, dapat ngayon bumaba ang budget pero ‘yun pa rin ‘yung projects so ‘yung kinakaltas na 30% eh di ilagay natin sa scholarships. Ito walang 30% na kaltas sigurado.”
