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COTABATO CITY — Two of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) have entered into a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) for the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) and other beneficiaries of BARMM programs.
To implement this through a significant move to enhance public services, the Ministry of Basic, Higher and Technical Education’s (MBHTE) Office of the Directorate General for Technical Education (DGTE) and the Ministry of Social Services and Development (MSSD) signed on Thursday, October 31, the MOA for the 4Ps and other beneficiaries of MSSD programs which aimed to integrate social services and technical education, ultimately benefiting marginalized communities throughout the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region.
Under this agreement, the MBHTE TESD (technical education and skills development) shall allocate scholarship grants and conduct skills training for 4Ps family beneficiaries and other qualified MSSD beneficiaries. This training will equip individuals with practical skills relevant to various industries, thereby enhancing their employability and income-generating potentials.
In his message, MSSD Director General Atty. Mohammad Muktadir Estrella expressed enthusiasm for the partnership. “We are very happy that our 4Ps households will finally have access to training provided by TESD, our valued partner in this agreement.”
The MSSD is headed by Minister Raissa Jajurie.
MBHTE Minister Mohagher M. Iqbal also affirmed his full support and commitment to the implementation of this program, emphasizing its potential to significantly benefit the Bangsamoro community.
Moreover, DGTE Director General Ruby A. Andong shared that they are committed to working for the betterment of the beneficiaries and ensuring that their efforts have meaningful results.
“MBHTE and MSSD have a perfect partnership. MBHTE invests for a long time, it takes 15 years to develop one person to be a professional, MSSD is known for quick response, frontliners, so when merge both the needs of their constituents together, we are able to find a formula that truly uplift Bangsamoro life,” said MSSD Deputy Minister Nur-ainee Tan-Lim.
The partnership signifies not only a commitment to improving the lives of beneficiaries but also reflects a shared vision for sustainable development and community empowerment.
Established in 2018 by the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL) to implement the 2014 Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB), he Bangsamoro region is made up of the provinces of Basilan, Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao del Sur, Maguindanao del Norte, and Tawi-Tawi, the cities of Cotabato, Lamitan, and Marawi, as well as the Special Geographic Area’s (SGA) 63 barangays or villages that voted “Yes” in a plebiscite in February 2019 to be under the BARMM jurisdiction. With the recent plebiscite at SGA, the BARMM now has eight new municipalities as residents voted “Yes”.
According to the Philippine Atlas BARMM has 4,404,288 people. It has 116 municipalities (plus eight newly established under the SGA: Basilan, 11 municipalities; Lanao del Sur, 39; undivided Maguindanao, 36; Sulu, 19; and Tawi-Tawi, 11. Its component cities are Cotabato (the regional center and capital) in Maguindanao; Lamitan in Basilan; and Marawi in Lanao del Sur. (✓)