The Central Mindanao (CenMin) Regional Office of the Bangsamoro Development Agency (BDA) marked a milestone by convening 17 humanitarian and development partners operating in this regional cluster of conflict affected areas in Mindanao, such as different UN agencies, International NGOs, government sectors and business sectors. The event was dubbed 1st Inter-Agency Meeting held at Sardonyx Plaza, Cotabato City on 15 July 2013.

This is in line with the implementation of the Fourth Program Partnership Agreement (PPA4) under the Mindanao Trust Fund Reconstruction and Development Program (MTFRDP). This is an effort of BDA to create an environment wherein different key players operating within this BDA regional cluster will be updated on the agency’s key accomplishments and strategic direction. Also, it encouraged open communication among potential partners, both government agencies and non-government organizations, and enjoined collaboration in pursuing noble mission in the conflict affected communities in Mindanao.

BDA-CenMin Regional Manager, Prof. Hashim B. Manticayan, in his welcome note, thanked Dr. Mohammad S. Yacob, BDA Executive Director and the rest of the participants for sparing their time just to attend the said event. “Attendance of the invited guests was impressive”, he added.

Participants expressed their gratitude to the BDA for considering them as important partners. All of them assured their commitment and welcomed the idea of coming up with collaboration and cooperation effort very soon.

Representative from GPH Coordinating Committee on the Cessation of Hostilities (CCCH), B/Gen. Cesar Sedillo commended the BDA on their critical role on the Normalization being one of its additional mandate mentioned in the Framework of Agreement on Bangsamoro (FAB) signed on October 15, 2012 in Malacañang.

Representative from International Monitoring Team-Humanitarian, Rehabilitation and Development Component (IMT-HRDC), Espen Steffensen thanked the BDA in helping him understand the context of peacebuilding in the conflict affected areas in Mindanao.

Also present during the event were representatives from: UN-World Food Programme, ICAN, JICA supported IC.Net Limited (service provider for CD CAAM), BRAC, IOM, IMT and CFSI. Government agencies sent representatives from TESDA (both from ARMM and Maguindanao), DENR-ARMM, DOH-ARMM, DSWD-ARMM, DOLE-Region 12 and Maguindanao Electric Cooperative (MAGELCO)./RMO CenMin News and Information Bureau

BDA Executive Director, Dr. Mohammad S. Yacob giving his message before the participants from different UN Agencies, INGOs and Government Agencies.