(February 27, 2023/ COTABATO CITY-BARMM). Members of cooperatives in the camp communities of the MILF planned together recently to determine potential livelihood that may be responsive to the priorities and needs in their villages.
This was through the Community-based Enterprise Planning Technique (CEPT) facilitated by the Bangsamoro Development Agency (BDA Inc.) in relevance to the implementation of the PROACTIVE: Programme on Assistance for Camp Transformation through Inclusion, Violence Prevention and Economic Empowerment.
In Brgy. Kilangan, Pagalungan, Maguindanao- Camp Rajamuda, the organized group is the Sustainable Agriculture Farmers Association.
“I joined this kind of activity because I like to learn more knowledge especially about socio-economic” Mondingan Kabasalan, a participant from the Camp, stated.
In Brgy. Kakal, Ampatuan, Maguindanao, Yasir Managu of Ampatuan Kalilintad Agriculture Cooperative said that he joined the association hoping that if those farming machineries or tools will be given to them it will be a big help to them as farmers.
For Abubakar Akmad of Sitio Malabaw Agriculture Cooperative in Brgy. Sifaran, Datu Odin Sinsuat, Maguindanao, the establishment of the cooperative is inspired by their aspiration that this will give them more opportunities for assistance from both the government and non-government organizations.
There were twenty-four (24) participants per camp for the CEPT.
During the activity, members and officials of the said cooperatives or associations raised their concerns and recommended solutions through by identifying the appropriate enterprise for the group. This shall be based on the available raw materials in the community from which the product to be marketed for income shall be made from.
According to BDA Inc., the concept of CEPT is to assist the locals in each village by producing goods out of the raw materials available in the community, which can result to potential source of income helpful for their families, and eventually to the entire community.
The tool has been used during the previous projects of BDA that helped communities become more productive up to present days. It was also adopted for the on-going initiatives related to the Bangsamoro Transition; wherein significant results are achieved.
CEPT is also being prepared for community recipients in the other camps like Camp Abubakar, Bilal and Bushra to be conducted in the following days.
PROACTIVE is a collaborative programme of United Nation Development Programme (UNDP – Philippines) and the Bangsamoro Development Agency (BDA Inc.) under the European Union Framework for Assistance to Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) Mindanao Peace and Development Programme - Peace and Development in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (MINPAD-PD BARMM).
This joint programme aims to contribute in enhancing local capacities to facilitate transition and transformation of the six (6) acknowledged camps of the MILF into peaceful and productive communities.
