ZAMBOANGA CITY – Twenty-eight women, including 11 wives of former Abu Sayyaf bandits, have completed a two-day food processing training in Basilan province, the military announced Wednesday.
Lt. Col. Renante Besa, Army’s 64th Infantry Battalion (IB) commander, said the training on food processing conducted from Monday (march 29) until Tuesday (March 30) was facilitated by Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) in partnership with Balay Mindanaw Foundation Inc., municipal government of Sumisip and his command.
Besa said 11 of the 28 women, who completed the two-day food processing training are wives of former members of Abu Sayyaf bandits.
The remaining 17 include 10 municipal government employees, three wives of soldiers, and four enlisted women of the 64IB.
Besa said they were training by Surayda Jalil of TESDA-Basilan on how to make Banana Cake, Banana Cracker, Cassava Chips, Squash Puto, Pickled Papaya, Cassava Cake and Mango, Pineapple and Papaya Jam.
Besa congratulated the participants of the training and thanked the partners agencies of the project for contributing in its success.
“It is my desire to help our partner in the local government unit on peace building and development,” Besa said.
Aside from food processing, the 64IB earlier launched computer literacy training for the youths in Sumisip, Basilan. – Nikolai Gonzalo
