About eight hundred ten (810) beneficiaries of the Community Empowerment through Food Sufficiency and Environmental Management (CEFSEM) Program of Bangsamoro Development Agency (BDA) together with the United Nations World Food Program (UN-WFP) received 674 sacks of rice during the food distribution on October 22-24, 2013 in Sultan Mastura, Maguindanao.

The beneficiaries are coming from eight barangays namely Brgy. Macabiso, Brgy. Solon, Brgy. Tariken, Brgy. Namuken, Brgy. Kirkir, Brgy. Dagurungan, Brgy. Tuka and Brgy. Boliok in the said municipality. Each beneficiary received their food allocation from the program depending on the number of days attended during training on values transformation and on volume of works accomplished during Food-for-Work (FFW) activity.

Before these distribution activities, beneficiaries participated in activities which served as requisites for them to be a recipient of the program. The 3-day Values Transformation Training (VTT) on July 2013 and in a Food-for-Training activity where they joined in the construction of the flood-protection dike on September 2013. This construction supports the environmental management objective of the program as well as support to agricultural production.

During the distribution, the beneficiaries showed remarkable behavior. According to Amirudin Gani, Coordinator of the Program, the distribution went smooth and organized. There was no problem encountered compare to what is commonly happening during food distribution. Beneficiaries are disciplined and everyone was following the system.

Gani believes that the VTT is a good help in achieving such orderly distribution. “The beneficiaries are all behaved, no one attempt to be prioritized, no attempts of cheating, no one ever tried to get more than what is allocated for him or her, and I believed it is because the values that was instilled in them through the VTT, related Gani.

To note, the CEFSEM program conducted series of training on values transformation on July 2013 in the said barangays. The training is a regular program of BDA integrated in all of its programs. Through VTT, BDA believes that capacity building and empowering of people is highly achieved, with enhanced knowledge, understanding and practice of Islamic Values.

Gani likewise commended the strong support of the Barangay local government units (LGUs) of the barangays in making the activity organized. “The assistance of the UN-WFP during the distribution was also very helpful”, according to Gani. He is also thankful for the help of volunteers from the Central Mindanao Regional Office of BDA.

Male beneficiaries helping unload sacks of rice

Beneficiaries waiting during the distribution

Sacks of rice set for distribution

Program Coordinator, Amirudin Gani facilitating the distribution