March 21, 2025. A single penny for a little family can mean a lot. This is a reality for many local women in communities across the Bangsamoro who are mostly struggling for their day-to-day lives.

Mercilyn Salsain, 38 from is fulltime housewife with three kids residing in Barangay Pasiagan, Bongao, Tawi- Tawi. Her husband is a construction worker.

She learned to produce native delicacies through the women organization in their village.

At home, Mercilyn would fine time to produce delicacies to sell for and gain profit.

“The income helps for our daily needs like the meals for our family, which is the most important for us”, she stated.

As a member of the organization, Mercilyn is glad to see her fellow women having the chance to attend seminars and events in hotels, and in other places beyond Tawi-Tawi.

“Through this project, we were able to go out and be more productive beyond our home”, she told.

A young lady named Norain Mukatil, 26, of the same village is a storekeeper in a pasalubong center in a local airport in Tawi-Tawi where she sells native delicacies. She works to support her siblings in their studies. They were young at age when their parents moved to Malaysia and left them under the guardianship of their uncle (father’s older brother).

Through hard work and perseverance, Norain has completed her education in 2012 and at present, she saves money from the portion of income in selling native delicacies to apply for licensure examination in hope for a stable job.

“Life is hard but the only choice is to go on”, this young lady expressed with high hopes and determination.

Norain shared that the delicacies are saleable specially when there are more guests and tourists.

In Sulu, a widowed mother gains added income by selling products from coconut like cooking oil, biko (sticky rice cake), and others.

Nurmirin Kanain, 37 from Brgy. Timbangan, Indanan, Sulu solely provides for her two children when her husband (a tricycle driver) passed away.

“It was never easy but this is my fate. I have to be stronger. I am joining local groups in hope to get opportunities and have an extra source of living”, Nurmirin stated.

Another widow from Pantar, Lumbatan, Lanao del Sur likewise value a hundred peso worth of money from which she can buy meals for her children in a day.

Left by her husband, Sofia Casangoan works alone hard each day to provide for the family and is grateful for the support of some relatives and neighbors.

Sofia found strength and hope in planting vegetables as livelihood project for transitioning communities affected by war in the past years.

In Maguindanao, Saguira Mamaluba, with seven children learned about making food items from coconut. One of which is biko that she prepares on order basis.

“In cooking and selling biko, I can send money for my daughter in college” Saguira said.

According to her, the amount she sent one time to her daughter was spent to buy cap and stockings prescribed in their school uniform.

Indeed, livelihood support to women groups is relevant to this sector who are mostly responsible in nurturing their families as foundation of the society.

Project reports revealed also that such assistance to women not only results to alternative income, moreover, it goes beyond support to livelihood. It is about empowerment and education that builds and enhances the potentials of women sector while nurturing their respective families. 

“It opens the doors to discover and enhance their abilities to be more fruitful in their crafts which develop the sense of gratification and self- fulfillment meaningful for their social being and status as women”, Bangsamoro Development Agency (BDA Inc.) reported.

This support to women groups across BARMM is relevant to the project SUBATRA-ECSO: Enhancing CSOs Capacities for Inclusive Development Interventions in BARMM in Support to Bangsamoro Transition, as funded by the European Union and the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation.

BDA Inc. is the local implementing agency of the project in collaboration with partner civil society organizations (CSO) in Bangsamoro Region.