SIX public and private schools in Cotabato City were recipients of a laboratory apparatus package worth P600,000 from the Ministry of Science and Technology in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (MoST-BARMM).

MoST minister Aida Silongan said the donation is part of their flagship programs to assist students and teachers in the region, providing laboratory equipment and capacity building for the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) program.

Schools that received the equipment last Wednesday were Cotabato City National High School (CCNHS) Main Campus, the CCNHS Rojas-Site Campus, Cotabato State University-Laboratory High School, Coland System Technology Inc., Shariff Kabunsuan College and Dr. P. Ocampo College.

"This endeavor is a continuous effort to support educators and learners, especially those in the remote areas, with less equipment and capacity," Silongan said.

Silongan said the donation is MoST's way of supporting the region's science education system which they hope would produce science and technology-savvy human resources that would help BARMM's socioeconomic growth.

Aside from the six schools, Silongan said 24 other schools across the region will receive the same assistance from MoST-BARMM this year.

"We will be completing the turnover of laboratory apparatus, amounting to P3 million, to all the recipient schools," she said.

Cecilia Omar, CCNHS Rojas-Site principal, expressed her gratitude to MoST-BARMM for selecting her school as a recipient of the program.

"Indeed, BARMM's generosity that reached us has added to our confidence in addressing the learning loss brought about by the two-year health crisis," Omar stated.

Silongan said schools under the BARMM's Special Geographic Area in North Cotabato will also receive the same assistance.