𝐁𝐀𝐑𝐌𝐌 𝐅𝐨𝐫𝐮𝐦 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓: 𝐄𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐓𝐕𝐄𝐓 𝐈𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐭𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬, 𝐁𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐁𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐬𝐚𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐨’𝐬 𝐅𝐮𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞

COTABATO CITY — The Bangsamoro TVET Association, with support from the Ministry of Basic, Higher and Technical Education-Technical Education and Skills Development (MBHTE-TESD), successfully conducted the 2025 BARMM TVET Forum on September 18, 2025, at Bajada Suite, Poblacion District, Davao City.

TVET stands for technical vocational and education training. The event gathered Technical Vocational Institutions (TVIs) across BARMM to discuss key directions for technical vocational education and training in the region. BARMM is the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

With the theme “Empowering TVET Institutions, Building Bangsamoro’s Future,” the forum aimed to strengthen collaboration, provide policy updates, and align the delivery of quality and industry-relevant programs that address the growing demand for skilled professionals in the Bangsamoro. It also served as a venue to reaffirm shared commitments to ensure that TVET remains a cornerstone of inclusive growth and peacebuilding.

Representing Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) Secretary Francisco B. Benitez, Deputy Director General Galo B. Glino III conveyed TESDA’s support for MBHTE-TESD and BARMM’s TVET initiatives.

He emphasized that “Education and TVET is key to sustainable peace and development,” noting TESDA’s commitment to help MBHTE-TESD augment resources, fast track and improve processes, and deliver quality, industry-oriented programs. Glino also underscored that TVET serves as a pathway to peace and development by cultivating collaboration, building cohesion, and fostering a shared identity among diverse communities in the Bangsamoro.

The 2025 BARMM TVET Forum concluded with a renewed commitment among stakeholders to build a stronger and more resilient TVET sector. By working together, the Bangsamoro TVET Association, MBHTE-TESD, TVIs, and partner institutions aim to empower Bangsamoro youth with skills that contribute to lasting peace, economic growth, and social cohesion in the region. This commitment is especially relevant as BARMM continues to strengthen its education and workforce systems, ensuring that technical vocational training not only addresses present labor market needs but also prepares communities for future opportunities in nation-building and regional development.

The Bangsamoro region, established in 2018 by the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL) to implement the 2014 Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB), 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 — now eight new municipalities — that voted “Yes” in a plebiscite in February 2019 to be under the BARMM jurisdiction.

According to the Philippine Atlas BARMM has 4,404,288 people. It has 116 municipalities: 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. (✓)