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COTABATO CITY — More than 50 trainees of Tile Setting National Competency (NC) II from the Cotabato City Manpower Development Center (CCMDC) received Starter Toolkits from the Ministry of Basic, Higher and Technical Education – Technical Education and Skills Development (MBHTE-TESD) on December 5, 2025,
Funded by the Philippine National Government under the Special Training for Employment Program (STEP), the distribution of technical vocational (tech-voc) toolkits aims to help beneficiaries transition from training to actual work practice and entrepreneurship.
In his message, CCMDC Center Administrator Moheden Saribo underscored the vital role of empowering local communities by equipping learners with practical technical and vocational skills.
“Bangsamoro learners must acquire hands-on and essential skills to pursue gainful employment and contribute to their socioeconomic growth,” Eng’r Saribo said.
He further highlighted that STEP programs continue to create pathways for sustainable livelihoods, particularly for individuals seeking to acquire practical skills for additional career opportunities.
During the distribution, MBHTE-TESD encouraged the trainees to maximize both the tools and the training they received to improve their economic well-being.
Leading the turnover ceremony were Saribo, MPA; Noraya Andong, CCDO UTPRAS Focal; and Rafael Kapusan, CCDO Scholarship Focal.
Aside from learning materials, scholarship recipients also benefit from free training courses, assessment, and allowances aimed at reducing financial barriers for learners.
This initiative aligns with the Government of the Day’s 9th priority agenda, which promotes accessible education and high-quality training programs for all.
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. (Johaira Sahidala/BIO with reports from MBHTE-TESD) — (✓)