Following the general staff orientation and planning workshop on August 24-30, 2015, the project team of the People’s Organization (PO) Strengthening started the assessment of POs with pilot sites in Southern Mindanao region of Bangsamoro Development Agency (BDA).

Accordingly, the pilot assessment was aimed to (a) assess the Peoples Organization functionality, (b) assess the sub-project functionality, (c) pilot the assessment tool jointly developed by BDA staff of the program and Project Technical Team (PTT) members coming from the two partners, Community and Family Services International (CFSI) and Mindanao Land Foundation.

The assessment focuses on POs whose sub-projects are income-generating (IGPs) to assess the possibility of upgrading the organizations’ activities/operations into entrepreneurship.

Assessment were conducted in the barangays of Tuyan and Lun Masla in Malapatan; Maguling and Ticulab in Maitum; and Lumasal and Amsipit in Maasim all in the province of Saranggani.

The activity is among the initial steps for the PO Strengthening Project.

The project team reported that after the pilot assessment, same activity will be conducted to other sites in the other regions of BDA namely Zamboanga-Peninsula, Zamboanga-Basilan, Ranaw, Davao and Central Mindanao.