The University of the Philippines (UP) System technical working group (TWG) for Bangsamoro development initiatives presented itself to the top officials of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) Ministry of Basic, Higher and Technical Education (MBHTE) in the latter’s headquarters at the BARMM Government Center in Cotabato City on May 10, 2024.
The TWG, which is planning the creation of the UP-Bangsamoro Development Institute, was led by its chairperson, UP Mindanao Chancellor Lyre Anni Murao. They were welcomed by officials of the MBHTE, led by Minister Mohagher Iqbal.
They updated each other on UP-BARMM relations, including the operationalization of the memoranda of understanding and agreement between the University and the MBHTE signed in June 2022, which facilitated projects on junior scientists and in-service training of teachers. The two parties are looking at expanding the relationship to include the whole of BARMM.
“We are very much thankful to the University of the Philippines for supporting us in this process of transition. . . ,” MBHTE Chief of Curriculum and Instruction and former Gurong Pahinungod Yul Adelfo Olaya said. “This is borne of our need to deliver quality education, and the best to deliver quality education is number one, a quality teacher. . . . We are very much thankful specifically to the Ugnayan ng Pahinungod for facilitating the deployment of experts to train our teachers. They also deployed Gurong Pahinungod volunteers. . . . Napamahal na po ang community sa kanila,” he said in his overview.
The UP President’s plans are “to expand academic programs in Mindanao through UP Mindanao, and also strengthen the engagement in Mindanao, particularly in BARMM. And that’s how we conceived the Bangsamoro Development Institute,” Murao said. Through the BDI, UP aims to extend technical assistance to BARMM. “We are opening the whole of UP, not just UP Mindanao, to BARMM,” she introduced this initiative to the group.
“We want to come in as a partner, as a co-creator. Hindi po kami papasok dito na, ito dapat ang gawin n’yo. Tatanungin namin kayo, ano ang mga kailangan ninyo sa BARMM? Titingnan namin kung ano ang mga capacity namin sa UP na makakapagbigay ng tulong o solusyon sa gaps or needs sa BARMM, then ima-match natin,” Murao emphasized. She said the BDI is planned to have an advisory team from BARMM.
She said that UP-BDI is exploring two tracks: capacity building and research projects on BARMM questions.
“The reform of the Bangsamoro has been designed 50 years ago when we started the Bangsamoro struggle. We are now on the stage of operationalizing what our leaders envisioned 50 years ago, and hopefully that is what will fall in the document of institutionalizing the partnership [between UP and BARMM],” MBHTE Consultant Amier Dodo said.
UP-BDI TWG member Larry Mapolon said the next step would be establishing technical contacts between UP and BARMM.
