Manila: President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Wednesday launched the Bawat Bayan Makikinabang grassroots initiative and the National Government - Bangsamoro Government Convergence Program to bring government assistance and services closer to communities in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM). Marcos rolled out the two programs at the Philippine Army Headquarters in Datu Odin Sinsuat, Maguindanao del Norte, where he led the distribution of PHP200,000 to each village in BARMM to support community projects and local initiatives.
According to Philippines News Agency, under the Bawat Bayan Makikinabang initiative, PHP100,000 of the PHP200,000 cash assistance will fund at least five presidential scholars in each village, with each scholar receiving PHP20,000. The remaining PHP100,000 will be allocated for the villages' priority projects. Complementing the grassroots initiative, the National Government - Bangsamoro Government Convergence Program delivered frontline government services to thousands of beneficiaries across the region.
"As we gather here today, we reaffirm the enduring partnership between the national government and the Bangsamoro government. It is one anchored on mutual trust, shared responsibility, and the firm commitment to our people," Marcos said. "Together, the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao and the national government of the Republic of the Philippines, we are advancing a shared vision of a more peaceful, prosperous, and inclusive Philippines, guided by the belief that the strength of the nation rests on the well-being and the dignity of every Filipino."
He said that from April 8 to July 17, the national government distributed nearly PHP7 billion to 34,800 villages nationwide under the Bawat Bayan Makikinabang program. The convergence program also included the ceremonial turnover of assistance, housing units, infrastructure projects, facilities and equipment to select beneficiaries, including local government units, former combatants, farmers and fisherfolk, Indigenous Peoples, and other priority sectors.
The convergence program earmarked around PHP3.4 billion for the projects and assistance, consisting of nearly PHP2.9 billion from the Bangsamoro government and more than PHP433 million from the national government. Marcos acknowledged, however, that more work remains to achieve the shared vision of a "peaceful, stable, and prosperous" Bangsamoro region. He assured the Bangsamoro people that the first parliamentary elections, scheduled for September 14, would push through.
"We are determined that we will push through with the second Monday of September, in the incoming September, to finally achieve our goal - our goal of being able to say that we have a duly elected parliament in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao," Marcos said. The President reaffirmed his administration's commitment to pursuing reforms that would improve the quality of life of every Filipino, strengthen the country's economic foundations, and ensure that no community is left behind.
He also highlighted the government's Iftar program, saying it has helped ensure that sociocultural and socioeconomic initiatives reach communities in ways that respect the faith and traditions of Muslim Filipinos. "From January 2025 to May 2026, we provided social basic services, including relief assistance, burial assistance, medical missions to more than 18,200 beneficiaries. Over the past two years, we have also extended assistance to more than 26,800 Hajj registrants," Marcos said. "Moving forward, this admin remains steadfast in pursuing reforms that enhance the quality of life of every Filipino, that strengthens the foundations of our economy, and to ensure that no community is left behind."
