MAY 2023-COTABATO CITY. For some whom we met and talked with for a while, the program gives them hope in life despite being detained in jail for a crime committed.

This is through the Bangsamoro Scholarship for Technical Vocation Education and Training (TVET) of the Ministry of Basic Higher and Technical Education (MBHTE) BARMM.

Sixteen persons deprive of liberty (PDL) benefited from the program and have undergone training on Electrical Installation and Maintenance (EIM NC-II).

Under the program is the integration of the Values Transformation Training (VTT), a three-day activity that promotes and teaches faith-based values towards self-change and personality development.

The Bangsamoro Development Agency (BDA Inc.) facilitated the VTT for the PDLs on May 2-4, 2023 at BJMP Cotabato City.

“We are very thankful for giving us this opportunity. We are confident that when we will be freed, hopefully, we have this knowledge and skills that we can use to get a job or earn income for our family”, a PDL said.

Enlightened by the teachings during the VTT, the PDL stated “I admit that when I was outside, before being here in jail, I spend mostly of my life for worldly desire. Here, I was enlightened, through this program”.

According to the jail officer in BJMP, they plan to conduct similar activity for the PDLs monthly and shall coordinate with the BDA Inc., who is official facilitator and resource person of the VTT.

It was in 2019 when BDA Inc. signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the TESD of MBHTE-BARMM for the implementation of VTT intended to instill the importance of faith-based values as foundation in developing a mass of individuals, professionals and leaders in the Bangsamoro.

APRIL 26, 2023. In the low-land and marshy village of Barangay Balong, Northern Kabuntalan, Maguindanao located in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), fifty households have just returned home from months of stay at the evacuation centers, and are currently struggling to recover and rebuild their lives from the effect of recent armed conflict due to rido (clan feud) in the place.   

Sittie Guiadel, 55, a mother of eight in the village, told us their story of rising up from the said calamity and how are they living right now. 

“Livelihood is affected because of what happened. Fishing and farming (a primary source of income to many) become difficult because many of our men are still not confident to go out because of safety and security”, Sittie stated.

She recalls the days at the evacuation center where they were not able to bring anything because of fear during the conflict.

“We have nothing. We can only rely from the assistance handed to us. We are thankful that there were people and organizations who immediately acted to our needs during that time”, she told.

Sittie’s family and many of their neighbors found refuge to nearby barangays where they stayed over three months while the armed conflict was happening.

When they return, a month ago, it was hard to recover and bring back to the natural state in the community.

“The experience was tough. It is still fresh for us, being in that situation. Livelihood were interrupted. Education of the children was affected. Some men who joined the battle were dead. Some properties were destroyed”, Sittie said.

Sittie and other neighbors have recently received food packs (25 kilo of rice, three kilos of sugar, oil, and coffee) as part of the program during the holy month of Ramadhan.

They expressed their gratitude for this blessing that bestowed upon them in this time of crisis in their lives.

“Shukran for this ridzki (blessing). We really need help because we are indeed in a difficult state, right now. We hope and pray for your help”, Sittie pleaded.

Meanwhile, in the nearby town in Brgy. Upper Taviran, Kabuntalan in the same province, Tarhata Midzakal, 26, lives by her family of four: two young kids and her husband.

Tarhata does laundry in the neighborhood where she earns money to help sustain the family. Her husband is a carpenter and a fisherman, both a low-income type of job.

"Life is very difficult. My husband is a fisherman and sometimes, there is no catch for him to bring something for the family back home”, she stated.

Her husband would do carpentry works if there is no chance for income from fishing.

For Tarhata, it would be a lucky day if someone from the neighbors ask her to do a laundry where she gets P150.00 pesos per basket.

Aside from the less chance to get a regular job, Tarhata cannot leave her children yet since they are still young, who needs immediate care from their mother.

She was very thankful for the food pack received and hopes that there will be more to come.

For her, it is a big blessing that will help her and the family during this Ramadhan.  

This food items, according to her, can last a month for her family.

Abdulraof Gumising, 37, also in the same village is thankful as beneficiary of the food pack.

He has four children. He is a fisherman from which he earns barely enough for his family.

Abdulraof’s wife is a full-time mother, taking care of the children. 

Sometimes, his wife would sell local goods, but most of the time would prioritize the little kids who are still young. 

Abdulraof shared how hard life is, especially when he has nothing to bring home for his family.

"Whatever I earn a day, I just make it work. What hurts most is whenever there is no catch to sell for income”, he stated.

He is deeply grateful for the food packs received during this holy month, that can sustain the needs of the family for a number of weeks.

This year, the Bangsamoro Development Agency (BDA Inc.) has delivered 200 food packs for Ramadhan 2023, in selected communities of Cotabato City and Maguindanao province. It is sponsored by the Weltweiter Einsatz fur Arme (WEFA), a partner foundation in Turkey.  

Every year, BDA Inc. implements Ramadhan Program, through provision of food packs to poor families in the Bangsamoro Region. This program has become helpful for the family-beneficiaries to supplemental to their daily needs, which are usually barely enough or lesser due to poor life conditions.

Ramadhan is a holy month in Islam. It is when Muslims perform the 4^th pillar of Islam. It is the month when the doors of jannah are opened. It is when rewards to good deeds are multiplied.

In this blessed month, employees and volunteers of the Bangsamoro Development Agency (BDA Inc.) got together and broke fast together on April 7, 2023 at Em Manor Hotel, Cotabato City.

Everyone was joyful for this gathering of past and present volunteers of BDA Inc., who have met once again now that many of them are already working in various ministries and offices in the Bangsamoro Government and in different private institutions and outside the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).

In his message, Dr. Rizaldy Piang, current minister of the Ministry of Health (MOH-BARMM), was grateful for the chance to see each other again, and for the time given by everyone to gather in this activity.

“This meeting is relieving like the good old times. We thank those who came from a distance”, Dr. Piang stated.

He added, “Let us strive to improve our bond for the sustainability of the Bangsamoro Development Agency.”

Ustadz Mohammad S. Yacob, member of the parliament of the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA) and the minister of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Agrariar Reform (MAFAR-BARMM), highlighted the achievement of the BDA as an agency recognized for its capacity as stated in its slogan “building people who will build the nation”.

“BDA has produced professionals who are among those, helping the current Bangsamoro Government, one is through the Values Transformation Training (VTT)”, Minister Yacob remarked.

He added, “VTT becomes the strength of BDA to remain standing because it is relevant to the advocacy on moral governance by the Bangsamoro Government.”

Yacob recognized the commitment of volunteers that is relevant to the sustainability of the BDA, as agency of the MILF.

He further encourages the BDA family to remain positive and that they, who are in the Bangsamoro Government now, are open to listen and help the agency.

“Do not be hesitant to approach us, because we are family”, Yacob ended.

For many, the gathering was indeed a reconnection for those who have seen each other for the long time.

Hashim Manticayan believes that this is very effective because brothers and sisters in this family meet each other again and relieve the past.  

Guiamaludin Sampulna, is also glad for the chance to see each other in this event.

“The knowledge we have and the place we are at present is all due to BDA”, he stated.

Rhadzni Taalim, the current executive director of BDA Inc. is pleased and touched by the attendance of everyone.

With this gathering, BDA Inc. is more motivated to pursue the plan for a general assembly of BDA Family.

BDA is a development arm of the MILF established in 2002 and has emerged as duly registered non- government organization in 2019 with the official name, BDA Inc.

Over the years, it has been working for the relief and rehabilitation of underserved communities guided by its core values towards sustainable service in the Bangsamoro.

MARCH 2023/ UPI, MAGUINDANAO-BARMM. Coming from uphill village of Brgy. Romongob, Upi, Maguindanao, these group of women who belong to the indigenous people (IP) sector get together regularly to plant a seed of hope towards better life for their families.

They are organized through the project SUBATRA-ECSO: Enhancing CSOs Capacities for Inclusive Development Intervention in BARMM in Support to Bangsamoro Transition, in desire to help improve their access to basic services wherein they were provided with skills training on vegetable production, a potential livelihood for local economic development, and is suitable with the good soil and weather condition in the area.

Bellalyn Dalimbang, 36, is a mother to two children. Her husband works as security guard in a local hospital while she, does planting with some farm animals.

Rebecca Arig, is a widow providing solely for her children. Perlita Dominggo provides for her two children who are both schooling. Erma Labaydaga, 54, has two children studying in college. Liezel Sariguit has the same story prioritizing the education of their kids.

All of them have the same vision for their children to finish studies. They hope that there will be available educational assistance because according to them, it is really hard to provide for the school fees.

“We really hope for support like scholarship. Usually, we can afford their education from elementary to secondary, but it is really hard when they reach college because there are many fees to settle which is hard for us”, these mothers stated.

In joining their group for this project, all have the same response that is in hope to get support for better life, especially for the education of their children.

“We are poor, life is difficult. We really hope that our children will complete their studies because that is their chance to better future”, they said.

These women group are thankful for being part of the project, wherein they are continuously learning new techniques in planting, where they get source of income for their families.

Some of them are coming from remotest part of the village, walking three- hours to reach their vegetable production site in Sitio Kulati of Romongaob.

“It is hard but we are willing to sacrifice and be patient in hope that we will soon reap the fruits of this labor”, the IP women remarked.

Under the SUBATRA-ECSO Project, vulnerable groups such as women and IPs are prioritized to receive assistance. One of this is the support on skills training from which they are provided with necessary capacity building relevant towards social enterprise development.

For the group in Brgy. Romongaob, beneficiaries underwent training on vegetable production with the Magungaya United Farmers Association, Inc. as service provider and resource person.

Overall, there are six IP communities covered by the project. In Romongaob, 90% of the eighty identified beneficiaries are Teduray.

SUBATRA-ECSO is funded by the European Union and the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation.