Mindanao State University-Maguindanao and Al-Amanah Islamic Investment Bank of the Philippines signed a memorandum of understanding Monday, Oct. 5, in a move officials said could help expand quality education, financial inclusion and sustainable development across Central Mindanao.
The agreement is significant because it links two institutions with very different roles but a common potential impact: a university producing the region’s future professionals and a financial institution seeking to widen access to Islamic finance and banking services.
Their cooperation will cover academic development, research, capacity-building, public-service empowerment, financial inclusion and Islamic finance.
The partnership was signed by MSU-Maguindanao Chancellor Bai Hejira Nefertiti Limbona and Al-Amanah Bank Chairperson and CEO Amenah Pangandaman, the former Department of Budget and Management secretary.
Also signing were MSU-Maguindanao Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Marissa Parcon and lawyer Norhaya Ali Lago of the university’s Office of the Legal Counsel.
Where education meets economic opportunity
The deal comes at a time when access to education, financing and employment remains central to the economic future of communities across the Bangsamoro region.
MSU-Maguindanao is based in Datu Odin Sinsuat, Maguindanao del Norte, about 40 kilometers from Cotabato City, the regional capital of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.
The university’s location gives the partnership a potentially important regional reach.
Rather than limiting cooperation to classroom exchanges, the MOU provides a framework for activities involving research, skills development, public service and financial inclusion — areas that can directly affect how students and communities participate in the economy.
The inclusion of Islamic finance is particularly notable in a region where Islamic banking is increasingly relevant to businesses, entrepreneurs and communities seeking financial services consistent with Islamic principles.
P242 million campus transformation
The partnership signing was also part of a larger celebration of what university officials described as a continuing transformation of the campus.
Pangandaman, who served as guest of honor during MSU-Maguindanao’s 53rd founding anniversary, was recognized by university officials for her role in helping secure infrastructure support during her time as DBM secretary.
Among the projects inaugurated Monday were four major buildings with a combined value of P242 million:
- P66 million — Forestry and Environment Science Building
- P66 million — College of Fisheries Building
- P66 million — College of Public Affairs and Governance Building
- P44 million — Institute of Management and Academic Building
University officials also cited Pangandaman’s role in supporting the establishment of a campus infirmary through assistance from the DBM under the Department of Health’s Health Facilities Enhancement Program.
The infrastructure represents more than bricks and concrete for a university in a region where human capital is closely tied to long-term economic development.
Better facilities mean more capacity to train students in fisheries, environmental science, governance, management and other fields needed by government, businesses and communities.
A bank looking beyond the branch
The partnership also gives Al-Amanah an avenue to bring financial education and Islamic finance closer to students and communities.
That could include opportunities for research, training and capacity-building while helping familiarize a new generation of professionals with Islamic financial concepts and financial inclusion.
For students, the potential payoff is practical: greater exposure to financial services, research opportunities and skills that can be applied in government, business and community development.
For the region, the bigger prize is economic.
A stronger connection between universities and financial institutions can help turn education into enterprise — developing people who understand not only their professions but also how capital, investment and financial services can support local economies.
‘From Roots to Reach’
The MOU was one of the highlights of MSU-Maguindanao’s 53rd founding anniversary, themed “From Roots to Reach: 53 Years of MSU-Maguindanao.”
The theme captures the broader ambition behind the partnership.
After more than five decades of building an academic institution in Central Mindanao, MSU-Maguindanao is seeking to extend its reach beyond its campus through partnerships that connect education with real-world development.
And with Al-Amanah Bank at the table, that reach now extends into one of the most critical pieces of economic development: access to finance.
The agreement does not immediately translate into new businesses or investments. But it creates a framework for the two institutions to work together on the skills, research and financial knowledge that can help make those opportunities possible.
The partnership sends a clear message in a region where peace and economic development are deeply connected: the next chapter of growth may begin not only in government offices or corporate boardrooms, but also in university classrooms.
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