COTABATO CITY —- The Bangsamoro Planning and Development Authority (BPDA) led by Director General Engr. Mohajirin T. Ali, conducted on Nov. 15-18, the final writeshop on โEvidence-based approach to establishing the BARMM International Assistance Mechanism and Handbook,โ participated by the official development assistance (ODA) technical working group (TWG).
The purpose of the handbook is to provide information and guidance to different international assistance stakeholders on policies and processes that govern both ODA and non-ODA in the BARMM; serve as a reference for designing, reviewing, approving, implementing, monitoring and evaluation, and reporting of international assistance in the region; and to support the operationalization of donor coordination, aid coordination, and development coordination in the BARMM.
Moreover, the formulation of the handbook which started in August 2022 was spearheaded by the Official Development Assistance/Nationally Funded Programs and Project Coordination Division (ODANFPPCD) of the BPDA, with the assistance of Maria Victoria Z. Maglana, and in partnership with The Asia Foundation (TAF) under its CARE for Peace Project, funded by the Australian Partnerships for Peace of the Australian Embassy in the Philippines.
BPDA also conducted series of workshops, writeshops, and consultations through an evidence-based approach to further capacitate the ODA TWG in crafting the said handbook.
In his message, Engr. Kadil A. Sulaik, Jr., Director for Research Development and Special Projects Bureau, expressed his gratitude to Maglana for her assistance throughout the formulation process, as well as to TAF for supporting the said activities. He also recognized the dedication of ODA TWG saying โYour output benefits the BARMM.โ
Meanwhile, based on Article XII, Section 25 of the Republic Act No. 11054, also known as the โBangsamoro Organic Law (BOL),โ the Bangsamoro Government may avail of official development assistance, upon review and approval of the National Government in accordance with Republic Act No. 8182, otherwise known as the โOfficial Development Assistance Act of 1996,โ as amended, to achieve inclusive growth and poverty reduction through the implementation of priority development projects. (Lovella Lao-Lastimosa with reports from Norodin Intia, BPDA-BARMM)
