In a mass graduation held at Camp Darapana in Sultan Kudarat, Maguindanao del Norte on Dec. 5, a total of 1,255 decommissioned combatants from the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) received their certificates of training for completing their technical-vocational courses with the BARMM’s education ministry. (Benyamen Cabuntalan/BIO)
SULTAN KUDARAT, Maguindanao del Norte – A total of 1,255 decommissioned combatants from the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and their families marked a milestone in their lives as they graduated from the technical-vocational skills training program sponsored by the Bangsamoro Government.
The graduates, who had once been part of armed conflicts, emerged from the training program equipped with skills that can lead to employment and societal contribution.
On Tuesday, Dec. 5, the Ministry of Basic, Higher, and Technical Education – Technical Education and Skills Development (MBHTE-TESD) led their mass graduation at MILF’s Camp Darapanan in Sultan Kudarat, Maguindanao del Norte.
Education Minister Mohagher Iqbal and Deputy Minister Haron Meling, along with MBHTE-TESD Bangsamoro Director General Ruby Andong and Maguindanao Provincial Director Salehk Mangelen, were present in the momentous ceremony.
Iqbal emphasized in his speech that the skills would transform the graduates into ‘productive members of society,’ ultimately enhancing their quality of lives.
“Su umpungan tanu, syaden sa indaw taman e magaga nin magidsan e siya pakaukit kanu kapasadan nu gobyerno endo siya mismo sa BARMM endo MILF na pagatulen tanu samaya e aden madtabang salkanu sa ukit a mabaloy a uyag-ugag a mapya,” he said.
[Our leadership, both the BARMM government and the MILF, will do its best effort to support you in improving your livelihood.]
The 1,255 graduates were among the 2,240 combatants targeted by MBHTE-TESD to complete their training before the end of 2023. Aside from certificates of training, the graduates also received tool kits and training support fund allowance from MBHTE-TESD.
The graduates underwent rigorous training in various national competencies, including Carpentry II, Dressmaking II, Bread and Pastry Production II, Electrical Installation And Maintenance II, Cookery II, and Animal ( chicken) Production II. These programs were conducted with 16 different technical vocational institutions in Cotabato City and Maguindanao del Norte.
Taya Maguid, a 51-year-old dressmaking trainee from Barangay Darapanan, expressed her gratitude to the BARMM government for the skills she acquired.
Maguid, who has been the sole provider for her three children since her husband’s passing, emphasized the positive impact her new-found skills would have on her family’s livelihood.
“Nagpapasalamat ako sa lahat ng tumulong sa amin na matutunan ‘yung mga skills. Ngayon na nakapagtapos ako, makakatulong ito sa kabuhayan ng aking pamilya,” she said.
[I am grateful to everyone who helped us learn these skills. Now that I have completed it, this will contribute to the livelihood of my family.]
The event aligns with the implementation the Executive Order No. 79, also known as the Annex on Normalization, signed by former President Rodrigo Roa Duterte on April 24, 2019 which emanated from the 2014 Comprehensive Agreement of the Bangsamoro (CAB).
The EO outlines four main aspects of the peace mechanism: security, socio-economic development, confidence building-measures, and transitional justice and reconciliation. (Myrna Tepadan/BIO)
