In the first general staff meeting of the Bangsamoro Development Agency (BDA) for the year 2019, executive director Mohammad S. Yacob urged staff and volunteers to exert utmost effort in delivering services for the Bangsamoro communities.

Dir. Yacob also told of the value of patience, excellence, patience and good attitude to better perform the tasks expected for each one of the BDA family.

He added that the coming days are still uncertain for BDA as development arm of the MILF and so everyone should have those values at work to move forward and surpass whatever challenges ahead.

BDA was established in 2002 primarily mandated for rehabilitation and development in the conflict-affected areas in Mindanao with the principle of learning by doing in building the capacity of the Bangsamoro.

During the said meeting on January 4, 2018 at Bangsamoro Development Center in Cotabato City, each division head of the agency presented major accomplishments for year 2018.

Engr. Rahib Labay together with Rahima Hassan reported for Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation (PME) Division, Rhadzni Taalim presented accomplishments of all BDA projects and programs; Hashim Manticayan for the human resource and development; Abdulmaguid Salidatan for the administrative management and Julhaina Cadon for the finance division.

Accordingly, all reports are subject for consolidation to come up with the BDA Annual Report 2018.

“We are consolidating our 2018 accomplishments to document what we have done, to determine good practices, lessons learned and challenges and be our reference as we go on with our assigned tasked as development arm of the MILF”, Dir. Yacob stated.

May 10, 2019. Officials, staff, volunteers and catalysts of the Bangsamoro Development Agency (BDA) are once again convened today for the beginning of the series of Ramadhan Forum, a special activity organized during this holy month.

Topic for the day was The Economic and Finance System in Islam: Its Prospect in the BARMM delivered by Sheikh Esmail W. Ebrahim.

According to Hashim Manticayan, activity like this provide opportunity for everyone to increase their knowledge in Islam, meet and greet one another, strengthen brotherhood and sisterhood while seeking together the rewards of Allah (s.w.t). 

After the forum, participants all together joined in breaking the fast with meals provided for the activity. 

Ramadhan Forum and free iftar has been a tradition at the BDA to promote camaraderie and faith among everyone at the agency. 

Development catalysts who are community level volunteers of the Bangsamoro Development Agency (BDA) convened on September 2019 for the Quarterly Meeting at Isulan, Sultan Kudarat.

Engr. Windel Diangcalan, BDA executive director attended the said gathering and gave updates on the current and future direction of the agency.

The Board of Directors of the Bangsamoro Development Agency (BDA) received guidance and direction from the MILF Central Committee headed by Chairman Hadji Murad Ebrahim gearing towards an inclusive, sustainable and lasting peace and development in the Bangsamoro during the transition period and in the post conflict situation, held at Camp Darapanan on October 6, 2019. It was the first meeting of BDA Board of Directors under the leadership of Ustadz Abusaliha Macacuna.

From the recent 2019 Annual Partners’ Meeting for Mindanao of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) on August  6, 2019 at Pagana Kutawato, Cotabato City, the Bangsamoro Development Agency (BDA) learned and inspired by the operational system presented for both organizational and project management.

Hashim Manticayan, BDA deputy executive director told that “my reflection from that meeting is BDA really needs to enhance its operation in all aspects in order for us to keep up with the standard operations including monitoring and financial aspect for project implementation”.

BDA together with other civil society organization (CSOs) who are partners to UNICEF attended the said activity.

“We are invited by UNICEF because BDA is one of their partners in implementing some of their projects. We have been in partnership with them particularly on the enhance version of the Tahderiyyah Program”, Manticayan said.

Accordingly, the UNICEF is now on its 8^th Country Programme in the Philippines (2019-2023) and its grateful for the continued partnership in this new programme cycle and the successful implementation of the projects and activities from the previous country programme.

“We learned a lot from said gathering, which we wanted to apply at BDA. I also appreciate the transparency of the UNICEF wherein they presented to us during the meeting the total amount downloaded to all of their partners,” Manticayan stated.

BDA and UNICEF is currently working together for the expansion of Tahderiyyah Program with the IMBPI and with funding support from the EOJ.

Following the successful turnover of responsibility for executive director of the Bangsamoro Development Agency (BDA), is the transition in management that normally takes place for an organization with new leadership.

This major change officially started during the general meeting on April 1, 2019 at BDA Training Center in Cotabato City.

Engr. Windel Diangcalan, appointed as the new executive director of BDA spearheaded the activity where division heads of the agency expressed pledge of commitment to continue supporting the management of the BDA to deliver tasks as mandated.

Hashim Manticayan, is now the deputy executive director and at the same time chairman of the Procurement Evaluation Committee (PEC).

BDA as development arm of the MILF has always been impacted by the persistent changes in the Bangsamoro.

The establishment of the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA) brought changes to the BDA since significant and key personalities from the agency were appointed as members of the new political institution in the Bangsamoro.

The Bangsamoro Development Agency (BDA) facilitated the interview for the fifty (50) hopefuls for the Turkey scholarship on June 17, 2019 at Moro Orphanage Complex in Tamontaka I, Cotabato City.

The activity was conducted in partnership with the Moro International Student Association (MISA), an organization of Moro scholars studying in Turkey.

Every year, the Turkey government opens opportunity for aspiring students to avail scholarship for bachelor and master’s degree in the said country.

The Bangsamoro Development Agency (BDA) expressed desire that the newly hired and now recently trained instructional managers (IMs) will have strength to fulfill their duties and functions in line with their tasks as teachers in the remote areas of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front’s (MILF) six acknowledged camps wherein the alternative learning system will be implemented starting August 2018.

“We pray to Allah (s.w.t) to give you strength to fulfill what you have committed to accomplish”, Mohammad S. Yacob, BDA Executive Director told the IMs in his brief talk during the closing program of the ALS IMs training with values transformation component held on July 28 at the Community and Family Services International (CFSI) Center for Excellence and Humanitarian Service.

“With education, there is a great chance that our communities will enjoy the fruits of development now that the Bangsamoro government comes in sight”, Yacob pointed out.

Further, he urged the ALS implementers (teachers) not to waste Allah’s reward for their efforts in the camps communities as this is not just responsibility towards the program but more of a commitment towards Him.

Supporting the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro(CAB), ALS component of the Mindanao Trust Fund – Reconstruction and Development Project Phase II (MTF-RDP/2) seeks to address the education needs of the Bangsamoro communities particularly the orphans, out-of-school-youths, and the women including the Indigenous People living within the camps.

ALS training with values transformation was conducted on July 21-28 at Alnor Hotel in Cotabato City with partner agencies such as the Department of Education in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (DeEDARMM) and the CFSI sending their people to assist BDA in terms of training personnel.

BDA Learning and Development Team composed of Hashim Manticayan, Swaib Mohamad and Mokamad Alon spearheaded the conduct of VTT as an entry strategy towards inculcating the needed values to succeed in the ALS implementation.

Further, DepEd-ARMM was represented by the following: Datumama Kabagani, Armando Patagani, Mary Ann Rawadin, Laila Mantawel, Anisa Baganian, Samrah Tatuang and Rolly Navarro who all took part in providing different lectures and conducting workshops for the IMs to learn more and apply it in the field.

Meanwhile, Prof. Abhoud Syed Lingga, MILF Joint Task Force for Camps Transformation, Noraida Abdullahkarim, CFSI Program Director for Mindanao, Julkipli Arsad, DepEd ALS Regional Supervisor, and John Ortiz, Education Program Supervisor II of DepEd Cotabato Province have also shared their brilliant words of encouragement to push the ALS IMs to work towards building a better Bangsamoro.

“I can see that we are happy and inspired despite the challenges in our midst”.

This was how the Bangsamoro Development Agency (BDA) Executive Director Mohammad S. Yacob described the feelings he observed during the Joint Reflection Session workshop conducted on June 27-28, 2018 at the Community and Family Services International (CFSI’s) Center for Excellence and Humanitarian Service, Cotabato City.

This reflection session is a monthly activity jointly undertaken by BDA and CFSI to evaluate and assess the project implementation for the Mindanao Trust Fund – Reconstruction and Development Project Phase II (MTF-RDP/2) whose ground work began second quarter of this year.

Yacob has commended the MTF-RDP team for their effort and dedication in meeting the project deliverables amidst challenges they encounter along the way.

“The result of what we do in the ground is enough to make us feel inspired” Yacob pointed out. He went on saying that one’s work output is a source of inspiration.

Meanwhile, he also urged everyone to keep an eye on their deliverables and stay focused on the project objectives to guide them in their actions.

Part of the reflection session agreed points is the formulation and presentation of the key actions and work plan for the current month which has been consolidated by the MTF-RDP Monitoring and Evaluation Team led by PME Head Engr. Rahib Labay.

Further, Project Coordinator Rhadzni Taalim shared his appreciation for the activity as it helps him and his team move towards the realization of the project objectives on improving access of target communities to socio-economic infrastructure and providing education for the youth thru the Alternative Learning System. Contributing to the gains of the peace process is also part of the goals, as has been noted in the project documents.

“I am glad that this is made part of our regular activities because it really helps us improve on our work”, Taalim noted. He added that though this mechanism ‘we are able to determine what we have accomplished, what needs to get done while keeping in mind those which have not been done so far due to some reasons’.

BDA and CFSI have been partners for long for this MTF intervention since its inception way back 2006 with World Bank as Trust Fund administrator and secretariat with pool of resources coming from the different donor countries.

In a bid to push for stronger ties of brotherhood among its personnel, the Bangsamoro Development Agency (BDA) had organized a gathering-cum-iftar (breaking of fast) for staff and volunteers on June 3,2018 at the BDA training center located at Brgy. Datu Balabaran in Cotabato City.

“We want to promote strong sense of brotherly love among our staff as we journey together towards the attainment of our vision for our nation”, BDA Executive Director said in his brief message.

According to Uz. Samsudin Hassan, an alim (Islamic scholar) invited by BDA to give lecture on the topic “Developing and Maintaining Brotherhood in Islam”, this blessed month of Ramadhan is a ‘mudarasah’ which means that a person who imbibes its true essence can learn a lot from its many teachings. Hassan is a graduate of International University of Madinah in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and a long-time volunteer of BDA-RMO Central Mindanao.

He reminded the crowd of BDA officials and personnel to be on guard pertaining the use of their eyes and tongues if these will lead them towards acting against the Will of their Creator.

“We should be mindful of how we utilize our sense of seeing, hearing and speaking (talking) in the way deal with our brothers”, Hassan pointed out.

Hassan particularly conveyed about the need to shun away with idle talk, gossip, lies and other similar sins.

Dr. Abdus Sameh L. Piang who is the Vice-Chairman of the BDA Board of Directors supported the scholarly reminders of Hassan.

Dr. Piang reminded the group of where BDA had come from, how it started as well as how they struggled to battle with challenges as they sail through the years of development work and putting ‘Islam in the realm of what we do for our communities’.

BDA Head of Finance Julhaina E. Cadon also shared her experiences thru a presentation of her 8-day tour in Indonesia which provided her many insights about how the Indonesian brothers manage their program funds for the benefit of their people.

After the lecture, the group gathered to share the blessings of Allah during the time for iftar.

The event was facilitated by the Agency thru its Human Resource Division led by Hashim B. Manticayan with his team.