DAVAO CITY — A total of 200 Bangsamoro Mujahideen scholars from ten camps of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MNLF) from the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) graaduated from the Technical Vocational Courses on December 19.
The culminating activity was held at at Shariff Kabunsuan Cultural Complex (SKCC).
The Bangsamoro government in a press statement said the successful trainees went through basic technical vocational education in the field where they desired to thrive.
Clad in green graduation dress, the graduates looks full of hope and has changed from being a young combatants or Mujahideen for their land to skilled individuals.
The Bangsamoro government through the Bangsamoro Youth Commission (BYC) in a program dubbed as Positive Peace Project (3Peace), collaborated with the Ministry of Basic Higher And Technical Education Skills Development (MBHTE-TESD),
The 3Peace aims to transform the former young combatants through trainings and capacity building to be economically productive and become a component for social and political development of the region.
In his message, BYC Chairperson Marjanie Mimbantas Macasalong said, the project is an opportunity to transform the lives of Mujahideen and their families to be part of lasting peace and development.
“Our aim is not merely to reintegrate 200 young individuals into society, but to empower them as catalysts for positive change. We are focusing on viable socio-economic opportunities, leadership development, technical-vocational skills, and entrepreneurship across 10 camps of MILF and MNLF in the region,” Macasalong said.
Empowering the Bangsamoro youth through skills training will lead to the development of the community.
“It is our commitment to acknowledge and amplify their efforts. Collaboratively designing development opportunities with them is not just an investment in their future but a strategic step towards shaping a thriving Bangsamoro,” he added.
Aside from their diploma, the graduates received P10,000 worth of tool kits, training allowance ranging from P7,000 to P8,000 training allowance, and a sole proprietorship grant of P20,000.
Samra Abdullah, 25, from Libutan, Mamasapano Maguindanao Del Sur, and a cookery graduate, expressed her gratitude to BYC and MBHTE-TESD for providing the training and shared that she gained opportunities to start a business.
“I learned a lot in this program that I can apply at work. It was a privilege to be part of these achievements because it gives me knowledge and skills as needed in cookery,” Abdullah said.
“We’ve seen the unwavering efforts of the current government, they still prioritize the needs of youth and are vulnerable in grassroots areas, especially for those who have been at the forefront of the conflict,” she added.
Apart from skills training, recipients also underwent major identity transformation processes to become productive in their respective communities through a series of activities such as disarmament, provision of socio-economic benefits, confidence-building measures, and camp transformation, among others. (Johaira Sahidala/BI
