COTABATO CITY—A peacebuilder from the island province of Sulu, Wahida Abdulla, was hailed as the Grand Champion for the Ministry of Public Order and Safety’s (MPOS) “Quest for the Bangsamoro Peace Champion 2022”.
Abdulla received a plaque, certificate, and cash amounting to Php100,000.00 during the awarding ceremony on Tuesday, Oct. 11, held at Pagana Hall in this city.
“Itong napanalunan ko po ay ibibigay ko sa mga balo (widows) pandagdag sa puhunan nila at pantustos din sa mga anak nila sa pang araw-araw na gastusin,” she said.
Abdulla is the President of Gagandilan (warrior) Mindanao Women Inc., a non-government organization (NGO) engaging with vulnerable women, widows, and Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) returnees from Sulu.
“Sobrang saya ko dahil itinanghal kaming champions; ang hirap at pawis na pinaghirapan ko at ng buong team namin ay nagbunga rin hindi lang dito sa mundo, pati na rin sa kabilang buhay,” she added.
She explained that more than 300 ASG members are returning to the fold of the law and that there are many more returnees to come because of the initiatives of the Bangsamoro Government and its close cooperation with the local government units and other stakeholders.
For MPOS Minister Hussein Muñoz, the Bangsamoro Peace Champion awards are just a few means to “manifest how much we value the contributions from the people in different sectors of our society.”
“May you continue to be a beacon in unifying the Bangsamoro and be a motivation to the people of your communities so that they may emulate your peacebuilding efforts. Through that, we may be able to sustain peace and harmony in the BARMM,” Muñoz said.
The other awardees such as Razul Pandulo from Maguindanao, Jamal Baulo and Benladen Macarampat from Lanao del Sur, and Conie Dumato from Special Geographic Areas (SGA) each received Php50,000.00, including certificates and plaques during the event.
Through this activity, the Government of the Day continues to recognize various Bangsamoro peacebuilders for their efforts and selfless promotion of peace and development in their respective communities. (Majid Nur/BIO)
