Project outcomes of the project on Community Development in Conflict-Affected Areas in Mindanao (CD-CAAM) were the highlights of the recent general dissemination meeting on February 5, 2015 at El Bajada Hotel in Davao City.

The event showcased the CD-CAAM pilot project gains, successes, challenges and lessons learned during its project implementation.

During the activity, BDA project staff presented the outcomes of the pilot projects on agriculture, fisheries and infrastructure.

Technical Manuals and Community Development Guidelines (CDG) were also presented by the ICNet Limited, Inc, a firm commissioned by Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) to support the Bangsamoro Development Agency (BDA) in the implementation of this pilot project in Maguindanao and Lanao del Norte.

A total of 126 participants coming from international organizations, BDA, ICNet Limited, Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP), partner local government units (LGUs), academe, resource organizations and beneficiaries attended the said event.

Significant messages

Stakeholders who supported the project gave their message of thanks to the BDA and ICNet staff for providing a capacity building project.

Hadji Hashim Casinto, member of the BDA Board of Directors emphasized in his welcome message that the event “will provide the information of what has been done and what has still to be done for conflict-affected areas in Mindanao”.

One of the beneficiaries from agri sector in Brgy. Tambu, Matungao, Lanao del Norte, Karen Canillo gave her message of gratitude to the BDA, ICNet and LGUs.

“We thanked the BDA for providing us capital, not financial capital but knowledge capital that use and treasure for the rest of our lives,” she added.

Engr. Abdulwahid Sendad, Regional Project Operations Officer (RPOO) for Infrastructure, shared that through labor-based technology (LBT), they were completely capacitated from immersing to the field to transferring of technology from different trainings attended.

“This LBT is not only labor-based technology (LBT), for us, it is legacy behind trials (LBT) as we named it,” he said.

Proposed Project Expansion

CD-CAAM project will end on March 2015 after completing 2 years of project implementation.

During his closing message, BDA Executive Director Ustadz Mohammad S. Yacob, Ph.D., mentioned the proposed expansion of the project. “We are starting to discuss the expansion of the project. There will be more challenges to come and we must show what we have learned in this pilot project,” he emphasized.

“CD-CAAM Project is the first project of BDA that is directly involved with municipal local government unit” he further said after recognizing the full support of LGU to the BDA’s project.

”Our satisfaction with this project increases our dreams and aspirations. We are dreaming to expand this in many municipalities,” he ended.