Part of the on-going initiative of the Bangsamoro Development Agency (BDA) and the United Nations-Food and Agriculture Office (UNFAO) on “developing and piloting socio-economic model durable solution in transforming Bangsamoro communities into productive agro-economic areas” is the conduct of Strategic Management Planning and Development Training, which was realized recently on July 13, 2018 at the Bangsamoro Development Center in Cotabato City, Inc. (BDCCI) in Brgy. Datu Balabaran, Cotabato City.

Participants to the said activity were BDA management team, staff and volunteers led by executive director Mohammad S. Yacob and members of the People’s Organizations (POs) from Brgy. Buliok, Sultan Mastura in Maguindanao and Brgy. Cabpangi, Pigcawayan, North Cotabato where this project is being piloted.

According to Engr. Windel Diangcalan, deputy executive director of BDA who facilitated the training, outputs from the workshops will be inputs for the socio-econ model that this project shall develop once completed.

“The outputs of this project will provide inputs to develop the socioeconomic model and will contribute to the piloting of the socioeconomic model,” he said.

Sessions during the training were presentation about BDA and the Bangsamoro Development Plan (BDP), inputs on strategic thinking and management, and the role of communication.

Facilitated also during the activity were workshops on formulation of vision, mission and strategies for each group of the POs and of the BDA, Strength, Opportunities, Aspirations, Results (SOAR) Analysis and among others.

Participants shared their stories of involvement and understaning of BDA.

Lengan Bitali, PO president in Brgy. Cabpangi accounted that “the coming of BDA in our place indeed brought good things. The Values Transformation Training (VTT) is the best part of it. As an Imam (religious leader), I am sharing to our people the learning I gained from VTT”.

“What is I understand about BDA is that it is created for the development of Bangsamoro communities who have been left behind for many years. For us at community level, BDA is an opportunity for learning and for recovery from poverty”, he added.

BDA and UNFAO signed a Letter of Understanding (LOU) in January this year for this project which objective is to open opportunities and link farmers to market to ensure sustainability of their livelihood and establish value chain. There will be also various training for the beneficiaries such as farm preparation through modern methods, Values Enhancement Training (VET), book keeping and recording, project planning and among others.