Japan to turn over training center to Bangsamoro Development Agency

From the Philippine News Agency (Sep 3): Japan to turn over training center to Bangsamoro Development Agency

Japanese Embassy officials and officers of the Bangsamoro Development Agency (BDA) will turn over Friday “The Project for the Construction of a Training Center for Bangsamoro” in Barangay Datu Balabaran, Cotabato City.

Officials of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), Malaysian-led International Monitoring Team and Cotabato City government officials are also expected to grace the event, part of the rehabilitation and reconstruction of conflict affected communities in Mindanao as part of the government peace process with the MILF.

The training center was constructed through the support of Japanese Embassy under the Grant Assistance for Grassroots Human Security Projects (GGP) with the objective of providing venue for training and sharing of technical skills participated by number of Bangsamoro professionals through various courses/fellowships in different fields of specialization.

Dr. Saffrullah M. Dipatuan, BDA chairperson, said the agency considers the training center as headquarters for capacity building for Bangsamoro.

“BDA as development arm of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), through various programs and projects is expected in developing capacity of its members and community stakeholders and professionals in hope to be contributory to the anticipated Bangsamoro government,” Dipatuan stated.

He added that through the training center, more trainings will be conducted to develop capacities that can offer the Bangsamoro with a pool of trained professionals ready to be mobilized in serving the Bangsamoro people.

"We hope that this training center will be a venue for such activities geared towards developing a pool of Bangsamoro professionals with enhanced knowledge and skills on project management, facilitation of community development works, and community mobilization,” Dipatuan added.

Specifically, the training center is expected to provide venue for (1) echo training by trained BDA staff to other BDA staff and volunteers both at the Central Management Office and Regional Managements Offices, 2) BDA Capacity Building Plan implementation to capacitate BDA (as a learning institution) and other BDA partners and stakeholders, and 3) strategic and tactical sessions, and intellectual exchanges among partners (both from local and International agencies).

Constructed with a budget of Php 4,754,793.00, the training center is a three-storey building designed to accommodate 80 individuals in its conference room at the third floor; there are four rooms with 16 units of double-decked beds at the second floor ready to accommodate participants for live-in events; a kitchen and dining area, a lobby, a bedroom and an office room situated at the ground floor.

BDA and Japan Embassy partnership through GGP and Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) started in 2006.

JICA is currently supporting the BDA for the Community Development in Conflict Affected Areas in Mindanao (CD-CAAM) Project and the Phase II of the Bangsamoro Development Plan (BDP).

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