COTABATO CITY— After a month of livelihood skills training with daily allowances, the Ministry of Basic, Higher, and Technical Education – Technical Education and Skills Development (MBHTE-TESD) on Monday, July 4, conducted a simultaneous distribution of tool kits to 176 decommissioned Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) combatants in Maguindanao province.
Supported by the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation, and Unity (OPAPRU) under the Normalization Program or Executive Order No. 79, the activity targets to help the beneficiaries on their transition to peaceful and productive members of society.
MBHTE-TESD Focal Person Mohamad-Ali Diang said the Bangsamoro Government aspires a brighter future for MILF combatants, saying, “one of the goals of this program is to help decommissioned MILF combatants start other sources of income.”
“We are hoping for prosperous livelihood that will be the key to secure a better future for our MILF combatants to normalize their lives,” he said.
Cookery equipment, such as chef’s knives, food tongs, digital weighing scale, measuring cups, measuring spoons, saucepans, mixing bowls, and chopping boards, were distributed to 68 former MILF technical-vocational graduates from Illana Bay Integrated Computer College Inc. in Parang Municipality.
On the other hand, 81 graduates from Ittihadun Nisah Foundation-Bangsamoro Women Skills Training Center Pastry Making in Sultan Kudarat Municipality received measuring cups, mixing bowls, and ovens.
Prior to that, 27 beneficiaries from Sultan Kudarat Islamic Academy Foundation College were also given some carpentry equipment such as pull push rule, claw hammer, spirit level bar, steel square, crow bar, chalk line reel, wood chisel, portable handrill, and portable circular saw.
One of the receipients, Kaharodin Piaco, 48, from the Municipality of Barira shared that his family is planning to start a small cafeteria to earn extra income.
“Maliban sa pagsasaka, nais naming magkaroon ng ibang kabuhayan at kami ay naniniwala na malaking tulong itong programa sa aming pamilya at ma-develop pa ang aming mga kakayahan,” Piaco said.
“Nagpapasalamat kami sa Bangsamoro Government at pamahalaan ng Pilipinas dahil sa kasunduan sa pagitan ng Government of the Philippines-Moro Islamic Liberation Front (GPH-MILF) na kapayapaan, tagumpay at pagkakaisa ng mga Muslims at Kristyano,” he added.
The same activity will be conducted at Datu Ibrahim Paglas Memorial College with 80 beneficiaries and another 60 from Foureych Technical Vocational Education and Training Center. (Johaira Sahidala/BIO)
