Tri-people community in Upi, Maguindanao receive livelihood project thru Turkish TIKA support
The project was officially received by the community through the Homeland Producer Cooperative (HPC) during the turn-over ceremony of goat raising project on April 10, 2016 at Brgy. Kibucay, Upi, Magiundanao.
In the event were officials from Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TiKA), the agency supporting the project; from the Bangsamoro Development Agency (BDA), other development partners, local officials and community members.
In his message, Mohammad Yacob, BDA executive director mentioned about the Bangsamoro Development Plan (BDP) where one of the highlighted result was the ‘livelihood’ interventions in the conflict-affected areas.
He also thanked the government and people of Turkey through TiKA as one of the partner organizations who response on the study.
“So now, we are about to have this turn-over of the Goat Raising Project under the supervision of Homeland Producer Cooperative. On behalf of the BDA and HPC, we are grateful to welcome you and wishing this project to be success and provide jobs to the community in this barangay and the other neighbouring barangays,” he added.
Burak Saritarla, TiKA Country Program Coordinator extended his gratitude to BDA and for collaboration and accordingly, they felt harmony in the area even though there’s a big geographical distance between Philippines and Turkey.
“I extend my gratitude to BDA for the close collaboration for this and the other projects on the sites and we still have succeeding peace projects and some of the implementation still going on. Hopefully, we will be completing all of them in a short time”, he said.
The Barangay Chairman of said area also thanked BDA-TiKA and welcomed the guests during the ceremony.
Dr. Taugan Kikay, head of the HPC shared about the creation of the cooperative and its purpose.
“The Homeland Producer Cooperative (HPC) was organized sometime in 2012 but before we start organizing this cooperative, we get permission from Barangay Chairman. The very purpose of establishing these cooperative is just to address the livelihood of the people because Brgy. Kibucay and municipality of Upi as a whole is tri-people. Meaning, the people residing in the area are composed of three sectors, the Bangsamoro, Lumads (indigenous people) and Christians. And the purpose of organizing the cooperative is to have unity among these people”, Dr. Kikay stated.
This project on goat raising is among of those three that are being supported by the TIKA through the sustainable projects that will be implemented in Bangsamoro communities in Mindanao.
The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for this project was signed between BDA and TIKA on November 12, 2015 at Bangsamoro Development Center in Cotabato City (BDCC).
The MoU covers three livelihood projects: (a) goat raising by Homeland Producer Cooperatives (HPC) in Brgy. Kibucay, Upi, Maguindanao headed by Dr. Taugan Kikay; (b) tilapia farming by Al-Ittihad Farmers and Fisherfolks Marketing Cooperative (AFFMC) in Brgy. Pikeg, Shariff Saydona Mustapha, Maguindanao headed by Usman Al-Hamid Omar and; (c) chicken farming by Allied Technology and Development, Inc.(ATDI) headed by Macmodin Ali.
Zandra Malikol, BDA CommGroup