The Bangsamoro Development Agency (BDA) joined other institutions in the country in the promotion of Islamic financing through the recent conference on international Islamic finance on March 25-26, 2015 at New World Hotel, Makati City.

Organized by the National Commission on Muslim Filipinos (NCMF, the conference convened various Islamic finance and industry experts from country partners of the Philippines.

The conference focused on the opportunities for developing Islamic financing, Halal market, Awqaf (endowment); Hajj (pilgrimage); Islamic microfinance, cooperatives, and small- and medium-sized enterprises in the country.

Inputs from BDA

Representative from BDA were executive director Mohammad S. Yacob and finance head Hamodi L. Tiboron, CPA.

In one of the workshops during the activity, BDA shared inputs on micro financing in the context of conflict.

According to Tiboron, BDA shared experiences on finance works at the agency and expressed hope that from the activity, the agency will have a tool that can be used in the capacity building objectives of BDA especially to the beneficiaries and the people’s organizations.

BDA have been organizing PO’s in various communities across its seven regions with support from different development partners. These organizations are trained on leadership and small-scale governance towards the goal of empowering them in becoming self-reliant.

“We also shared our hope to learn on how micro financing concept can help with our objectives for the communities we served on poverty alleviation thru livelihood and economic programs”, Tiboron further stated.

Meanwhile, director Yacob said that such activity served as avenue for BDA for greater linkages with other institutions especially those that are offering Islamic finance.

BDA has just recently attended in a capacity building for effective fiscal management jointly organized by the Foundation for Economic Freedom (FEF), Philippine Center for Islam and Democracy (PCID) and the Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP).