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With the common objective to deliver, socio-economic projects for improved access to basic services of conflict communities, moreover towards the confidence building in Bangsamoro, the Bangsamoro Development Agency (BDA) together with the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) joined hands for the implementation of the Quick Response Project (QRP) in selected barangays within the six major camps of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).

The project is expected to kick-off next month, July 2018 through social preparation activities that will include courtesy call and coordination with local government units (LGUs) and community-wide orientation.

Under the QRP, there will be eighteen (18) types of socio-economic infrastructure (SEI) projects to be constructed in eighteen barangays across the MILF camps namely Camp Omar, Camp Abubakar As-Siddique, Camp Rajamuda, Camp Badre, Camp Bilal and Camp Bushra.

“This project is being funded by the Government of the Philippines (GPH)  through the OPAPP as their commitment for the Normalization Aspect of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB)”, BDA executive director Mohammad S. Yacob said.

He further stated noted that the implementation of this project is fruit of the on-going peace process between the GPH and the MILF.

BDA is tasked for the social preparation phase of this project for the camps.

 

 

 

In the recent development forum on Shari’ah compliant community-based microfinancing in BARMM, the Bangsamoro Development Agency (BDA) shared experiences on local economic development as one successful story of the said subject.

The event was held on July 4-5, 2019 in Cotabato City organized by the Regional Commission on Bangsamoro Women (RCBW) with Rudy Baldemor as the resource person and facilitator.

Julhaina Cadon from BDA who was the coordinator on the Programme for Local Economic Development through Enlightened Governance and Grassroots Empowerment (PLEDGE), shared their story of the program implementation where community members in the selected areas in the CAAM were organized and assisted of necessary skills, knowledge, tools and strategies to develop into local enterprise entities.

BDA implemented PLEDGE in 2013-2016 with the aim to contribute to confidence and peace building efforts at various levels through local economic development and sustainable livelihood creation in conflict affected areas in Mindanao.

On the said development forum, BDA also participated to simulation workshops that introduced and taught participants from various civil society groups in the BARMM on the tools that are needed to facilitate community-based microfinancing.

Engr. Rahima Hassan of BDA also joined the activity particularly during the workshop where she was again acquainted with the process based on experience at the agency in implementing the PLEDGE as one of the staff under the latter.

Community-based microfinancing based on Shari’ah is one of the future plans of BDA to further expand assistance to the people’s organizations and the communities towards moving forward for better life.

 

 

 

Health unit of the Bangsamoro Development Agency (BDA) organized a blood typing activity for staff and volunteers of the agency in close collaboration with the Cotabato Regional and Medical Center (CRMC) and PAMET Cotabato Office on September 14, 2018 at BDCCCI, Cotabato City.

The event was graced by key officials of the BDA led by Executive Director Mohammad S. Yacob where he delivered opening remarks.

A simple workshop followed by a short lecture about blood typing was facilitated first before the actual procedure.

Carolyn Biruar, RN, focal person of BDA health unit expressed joy over the positive turn-out of the activity which was made possible by the support and participation of everyone.

“This is again part of our advocacy on the importance of health in our life, and blood typing is just one of the good practices that one should undergo”, she stated.

 

 

 

Reminisce the past and telling old time stories, Minister Melanio Ulama of the Ministry of Indigenous People’s Affairs (MIPA) of the BARMM spoke before the Teduray community in Brgy. Saniag, Ampatuan in Maguindanao today June 21, 2019 during the turn-over ceremony of the Tribal Justice Hall from the Mindanao Trust Fund Reconstruction and Development Project Phase II (MTFRDP/2) - a project being implemented in support to the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB).

Minister Ulama spoke of the decade-long struggle of the Bangsamoro which fruit includes this establishment of the tribal justice hall for the IP community in Saniag.

“We agree that this is just a small project and just a beginning of more development for you”, he added.

He urged the community members to take care of the project in honor for the blood and life of those slayed by the war in Mindanao and for the next generation to benefit from it.

Spoke in Teduray language, Minister Ulama reminded the beneficiaries of the situation in the land in the old days and compared it to the current setting where development is happening already.

His talk was informative and deep yet illuminating as he also threw funny quotes and stories that got the attention and interest of the community.

The said turnover ceremony marked the official ownership and management of the people’s organization of the tribal justice hall that is expected to benefit not only the Teduray populace in the barangay but also other members of the community.

It was attended by various stakeholders and partners from the local government unit, the Task Force on Camp Transformation (TFCT), MILF Political Committee, Bangsamoro Development Agency (BDA) and Community and Family Services International (CFSI).

This tribal justice hall is a project in line with inclusive principle of the MTFRDP/2 that includes a component for IP support.

MTFRDP/2 is a program partnership signed between the BDA and the Community and Family Services International (CFSI) which aim is to improve access of targeted communities in the conflict-affected areas in Mindanao to basic socio-economic infrastructure and alternative learning system.

This intervention is comprised of engaging the communities through a community-driven development and alternative learning system with an end in view of making those productive, participative and peaceful communities. Moreover, this is in line with the Normalization Aspect of the CAB.

MTFRDP/2 is supported by the Mindanao Trust Fund (MTF) with various donors such as the European Union, the government of Sweden, Australia, Canada, United States, New Zealand and the World Bank, which also serves as Trust Fund Administrator and Secretariat.

The Spanish Cooperation Agency for International Development (AECID) is also supporting the project.

 

Stories of people sharing sympathy on the call for the long-aspired sustainable peace and development in the Bangsamoro are all over the social media and internet.

Coming from different countries around the globe, Muslim or not, they joined the call for the (Bangsamoro Organic Law) BOL Win that will allow the establishment of the Bangsamoro Government.

They are among the thousands who joined the Grand Caravan for Peace on January 13, 2019 calling for the ratification of the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL), came and journeyed together from Cotabato City passing through municipalities of Maguindanao, North Cotabato and Sultan Kudarat.

At the local level, you can also find the same people with same concern over the Bangsamoro.

Luqman Haron, a Kagan from Mati, Davao Oriental is amongst the participants of the Grand Caravan for BOL on January 13, 2019.

For him, he may not be a resident of the Bangsamoro Government being a local of Mati and may not have the privilege to join the upcoming plebiscite, but as Moro, Luqman is dedicated to serve and help.

“I joined the caravan and other related activities for peace because I want to show my support. I may not be voting and our place is not part of the Bangsamoro Government but I will help in any way I can because I am a Bangsamoro”, Luqman stated.

Luqman is the regional manager of the BDA Davao Region and a community development officer for the Mindanao Trust Fund Reconstruction and Development Project Phase II (MTFRDP/2) - a camp development project implemented by the BDA in accordance with the Normalization of the CAB.  

Sarah Panglima was born and raised in Iligan, a pre-dominantly Christian City.

With her origin, she knew nothing about the Bangsamoro. But it was her fate that brought her to the Bangsamoro world.

“I was tired of my life studying and working in Iligan, so I went to Cotabato City for new environment, to meditate, to rest”, Sarah said.

Then her aunt, asked to join her at the Bangsamoro Development Agency (BDA) to render voluntary service.

“I said yes though I was not really here at Cotabato for work”, Sarah told.

 

 

 

“Attack against illiteracy” has been a motto of the Bangsamoro Development Agency-Human Resource Development (BDA-HRD) Team in a mission to conduct orientation and mapping of beneficiaries for the Alternative Learning System (ALS) Component of the Mindanao Trust Fund Reconstruction and Development Project Phase II (MTFRDP/2).

The said activity was simultaneously conducted on July 31 to August 9, 2018 together with partners from the Community and Family Services International (CFSI), Department of Education (DepED), Instructional Managers (IMs) and the Joint Task Forces on Camp Transformation (JTFCT) across the twenty one communities under the six major camps of the MILF where MTFRDP/2 is being implemented.

According to Hashim Manticayan, learning and development officer and head of BDA-HRD, the act was intended to orient target beneficiaries about the ALS and validate pre-identified learners to determine who are qualified for each of the ALS categories.

“We conducted orientation and Functional Literacy Test (FLT) to target beneficiaries to see who will qualify for basic literacy program e.g. those who cannot read and write, elementary level and secondary”, Manticayan disclosed.

He added that there were 1,477 number of participants who underwent the said validation of 1,011 took FLT and 466 for Basic Literacy Program (BLP).

The team is expected to meet this week to consolidate results of the validation to finalize the list of learners for each category.

Manticayan also reported that aside from the orientation and validation, the team also introduced to the communities the instructional managers (IMs) who were hired to facilitate the learning session for the ALS in the barangay.

“We went there together with the IMs to introduce them to the community and at the same time identify learning centers where ALS classes will take place”, he added.

To note, the IMs have underwent one-week training on July 21-28, 2018 to equip them of necessary knowledge and skills related to ALS teaching.

Manticayan likewise shared the struggle of the team in reaching the remote areas which were not accessible due to road absence, heavy rains and among others.

“Rain or shine, by modern vehicle or carabao-riding, pump boat or even hiking we went on to fulfill our mission of catering educational needs of our people in those communities” he narrated.

Manticayan quoted one DepED official in Marawi City who said that “in ALS there is hope.

ALS, a component of the MTFRDP/2 aims to cater education needs of vulnerable groups, particularly out of school youth, women, orphans and indigenous people.

MTFRDP/2 is a program partnership signed between the BDA and the Community and Family Services International (CFSI) which aim is to improve access of targeted communities in the conflict-affected areas in Mindanao to basic socio-economic infrastructure and alternative learning system.

This intervention is comprised of engaging the communities through a community-driven development and alternative learning system with an end in view of making those productive, participative and peaceful communities. Moreover, this is in line with the Normalization Aspect of the CAB.

MTFRDP/2 is supported by the Mindanao Trust Fund (MTF) with various donors such as the European Union, the government of Sweden, Australia, Canada, United States, New Zealand and the World Bank, which also serves as Trust Fund Administrator and Secretariat.

The Spanish Cooperation Agency for International Development (AECID) is also supporting the project.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The mobile teachers or instructional managers whom the Bangsamoro Development Agency has recently deployed to cater to the educational needs of the underprivileged communities within the six acknowledged camps of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), have expressed commitment to help the agency towards the goal of making education accessible to all.

In a feed backing activity conducted on September 7, 2018 in Cotabato City, the IMs shared experiences and the different activities they have accomplished in the ground.

Aisah Acob, one of the 24 IMs who hails from Marawi City at Camp Bilal, shared that her students would simply sit in the grassy areas just to ensure they gain knowledge and skills from the learnings being imparted by the teacher.

“We have no proper place or venue to conduct sessions or building to hold our classes”, she said.

Yet, we are determined to make the learning process as fruitful as we can, she confided.

Similar concerns were also voiced out by other IMs from other camps.

Moreover, the distance traveled by the IMs are quite far to reach their students as in the case of Zukarno Guiaman of Camp Badr, Said Madag and Suraida Ampatuan of Camp Omar and Amera Anta of Camp Rajamuda among others.

According to them, the communities are reached either by modern vehicle or carabao-riding, pump boat or even hiking.

For Saida Madag, assigned in Brgy. Limpongo, Datu Hoffer, Maguindanao under Camp Omar, that this challenge does not hamper her determination to serve the Bangsamoro.

“When I got the chance to be hired as one of BDA- ALS mobile teachers, I thought to myself, I’m going to use this opportunity to help people to the best of my ability”, Saida recalls.

She added that now that this rare chance to serve the Bangsamoro is in my hands once again, I would waste no time to make others’ dreams to earn knowledge become a reality, insha’Allah”, she stressed.

During this feed backing session, all of the ALS IMs have provided inputs/reports to the BDA, CFSI and World Bank representatives.

Rhadzni M. Taalim, Project Coordinator, Hashim  Manticayan, Learning and Development Officer and his staff attended and facilitated the activity.

The Community and Family Services International was also part of the activity, being the project management unit who constantly provides guidance and support to the team.

Nelia Agbon, on the other hand, represented the World Bank.

BDA Camps Project Support Team – Community Development Officers were also present to listen to the IMs feed backs. CDOs like Luqman Tandalong (Camp Rajamuda), Alimuddin Hadjinor (Camp Omar), Tawab Kararon (Camp Abubakar) and other CPST representatives attended.

ALS, a component of the MTFRDP/2 aims to cater education needs of vulnerable groups, particularly out of school youth, women, orphans and indigenous people.

MTFRDP/2 is a program partnership signed between the BDA and the Community and Family Services International (CFSI) which aim is to improve access of targeted communities in the conflict-affected areas in Mindanao to basic socio-economic infrastructure and alternative learning system.

This intervention is comprised of engaging the communities through a community-driven development and alternative learning system with an end in view of making those productive, participative and peaceful communities. Moreover, this is in line with the Normalization Aspect of the CAB.

MTFRDP/2 is supported by the Mindanao Trust Fund (MTF) with various donors such as the European Union, the government of Sweden, Australia, Canada, United States, New Zealand and the World Bank, which also serves as Trust Fund Administrator and Secretariat.

The Spanish Cooperation Agency for International Development (AECID) is also supporting the project.

To date, mapping of learners and giving of functional literacy tests have been conducted earlier last month prior to the proper start of the classes.

 

 

 

The Alliance of Int'l Doctors from Turkey led by Dr. Mevlit Yurtseen visited health institutions in Bangsamoro with facilitation of the Bangsamoro Development Agency (BDA).

The team went to Buluan District Hospital, Maguindanao Provincial Hospital and Rural Health Unit all in the province of Maguindanao on October 29, 2019 and met with key officials of said institutions to discuss about management, operation and health services in the province. 

On October 31, 2019, the doctors visited Amanah Birthing Clinic in Darapanan, Sultan Kudarat, Maguindanao and the newly constructed birthing clinic supported by the TIKA. 

 

August 2, 2019. For a flood-prone communities like Brgy. Buliok, Pikit, North Cotabato and Brgy. Kudal in Pagalungan, Maguindanao, water is not a problem only that it is not potable for drinking. People have to buy water to ensure safety for their health, which is quite expensive.

Now, the long-awaited moment for both barangays has finally came when they received solar-powered water system project (level II) that respond to one of their basic needs in their communities.

In Brgy. Buliok, the community formally received the project on August 3, 2019 through a ceremonial turn-over organized for this event.The project was funded by various donors (through the Mindanao Trust Fund) such as  the European Union, the government of Sweden, Australia, Canada, United States, New Zealand and the World Bank, which also serves as Trust Fund Administrator and Secretariat.

In Brgy. Kudal, the turnover of the project was on Aug. 2, 2019 witnessed by various stakeholders in the community like municipal and local government units, people’s organization, community members, women, youth, and the elderly and BDA and CFSI. 

JTFCT chairman told the community that “this project is yours, so take care of it to benefit everyone”.

The project in Brgy. Kudal is funded by the Spanish Cooperation for International Development (AECID).

Both conflict-affected communities, the people of Brgy. Kudal and Buliok are grateful for this kind of assistance extended to them through the MTFRDP/2 with BDA and CFSI.

For them, such project is a big step to a journey in moving on from conflict to productive, progressive and   peaceful community.

Woman-board member of the Kudal Farmers and Fisher Folks Association, believes that the water system project is very significant for the development of their community.

Mindanao Trust Fund- Reconstruction and Development Project Phase II (MTFRDP/2) is program partnership signed between BDA and CFSI that aims to improve access of targeted communities in the conflict-affected areas in Mindanao to basic socio-economic infrastructure and alternative learning system. Moreover, this is in line with the Normalization Aspect of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB). 

With support from key stakeholders for the Mindanao Trust Fund – Reconstruction and Development Project II (MTF-RDP/2), the Bangsamoro Development Agency (BDA) and the Community and Family Services International (CFSI) vowed to give their best effort in working together as one team to ensure that project deliverables are met and properly implemented.

“As one family, we are bound to work as one team so that our beneficiaries receive the services they really deserve”, said Engr. Nasser Sinarimbo, CFSI-based Project Coordinator.

Should there be any concern, we have to discuss it as gentlemen, he added as he addressed both BDA and CFSI colleagues in a gathering last week at the Center for Excellence and Humanitarian Service.

Meanwhile, Tawab Kararon, BDA Community Development Officer under MTF-RDP/2 and concurrent Regional Manager of RMO – Basilan reminded his colleagues on the importance of a meaningful assessment which can serve as guiding light towards the improvement of the concerned groups.

As what our Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w) told us: “We also need to take account of what we do and be guided thereby before somebody else makes an assessment of us”, Kararon stated.

Lucman Tandalong, also a CDO and concurrent RMO Davao – Regional Manager said that they are enlightened as a result of this activity which provides them learnings and guidance as they move along the path of developing the target communities.

Mohammad Saud Alon, BDA Rural Infrastructure Engineer II, expressed strong support to the team saying that ”we get the chance to reflect and act thru this reflection session” thus guided by those reflections generated, he added they will make it God willing through despite some challenges that may arise particularly on the technical engineering works. He attributed any success to ‘because we are working together’.

BDA and CFSI conduct regular partners’ meeting as well as reflection workshops at the end of every month for the MTF-RDP/2 to ensure that work schedules, project deliverables among others are within specified timeline as agreed.