MANILA — Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa expressed support for increasing the budget for scholarships for children of combatants, saying it could help 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), chaired by Dela Rosa as the Senate Committee on Finance Subcommittee E chair, Senator Loren Legarda urged additional funding for the program to raise the amount per student from the current P50,000 per year and expand the number of beneficiaries.

Dela Rosa recalled his own experience as a full scholar at the Mindanao State University (MSU) – Marawi for three years before entering 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,” he said.

He added, “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.”

Legarda proposed expanding the program to cover all children of combatants and asked 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,” Legarda said.

Senator Win Gatchalian, Committee on Finance chairperson, supported the increase and emphasized its importance for the region’s future.

“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 added that the additional funding would be minimal compared to wasteful projects.

“Alam mo, isang ghost flood control project lang yan ng Bulacan, tanggalin natin, ilagay natin sa OPAPRU. Isang flood control project lang yan,” he said.

Legarda agreed, noting, “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 parin yung projects so yung kinakaltas na 30% eh di ilagay natin sa scholarships. Ito walang 30% na kaltas sigurado.”