Japan Embassy officials turn over training center to BDA

COTABATO CITY - Officials of Japan Embassy will turn over this morning to theBangsamoro Development Agency (BDA) a training center constructed with the help of Japanese government in Barangay Datu Balabaran here, officials said.Called The Project for the Construction of a Training Center for Bangsamoro,” it was constructed through the support of EOJ 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.Expected to attend the ceremonies are officials from Japan embassy, MILF and members of the international peace monitors and local government of Cotabato City. According to Dr. Saffrullah M. Dipatuan, BDA Chairman, 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 said.He added that through the training center, more training will happen 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 trainings 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).The training center worth Php 4,754,793.00, is a 3-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 EOJ partnership through GGP and Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) started on 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).