In a significant step to promote the application of moral values within organizations, four (4) cooperatives have benefited from the Values Transformation Training provided by the Ministry of Science and Technology under its Women’s Empowerment through Science and Technology (WEST) Program.

From February 20 to March 7, 2024, beneficiaries of WEST, under the Transitional Development Impact Fund of Members of Parliament Atty. Rasol Mitmug and Atty. Mary Ann Arnado, commenced the pre-implementation program of WEST, which includes VTT and the signing of the Memorandum of Agreement.

The cooperatives that benefited from the training were Suara Kalilintad, engaged in charcoal briquetting; Women Organization of Mamalu Descendants (WOMD) and Indigenous Women Resource Center (IWRC), both involved in coffee processing; and Kamapiyaan sa Tagoranao Marketing Cooperative (KTMC), engaged in chocolate making. Beneficiaries hailed from Maguindanao del Norte, Maguindanao del Sur, and Lanao del Sur.

During one of the activities, Monawara Abdulbadie, Chief Science Research Specialist – Science and Technology Services Division, encouraged the cooperatives to apply the learnings from VTT to themselves and instill moral governance in their business operations.

Mr. Diamongun C. Balut, President of Kamapiyaan sa Tagoranao Marketing Cooperative from Lanao del Sur, expressed gratitude and motivated his cooperative members to embrace these teachings wholeheartedly for the improvement and success of the cooperative.

“Para ito sa ating lahat mga kasamahan ko sa cooperative, para makilala ang produktong galing sa Brgy. Tagoranao, Bayang, LDS, BARMM. Itong mga itinuturo ng BARMM Government through MOST-BARMM ay isapuso natin lalo na’t katuruan ito ng Islam, tulong nila ito para mas mapaganda at mas mapaayos pa ang ating kooperatiba.” Balut said.

[This is for all my colleagues in the cooperative, to recognize the product from Brgy. Tagoranao, Bayang, LDS, BARMM. Let’s take these teachings of the BARMM Government through MOST-BARMM to heart, especially since they are teachings of Islam, they will help us to make our cooperative even better and more organized.]

Ms. Aileen Hualde, President of WOMD, said, “Nagpapasalamat po kami sa BARMM Goverment through MOST-BARMM kasi nasali po kami sa tinatawag nilang Values Transformation Training na lingid sa kaalaman namin belong din pala kami sa BARMM at hindi kami na bebehind at mas lalo pa natin patatagin ang cooperative natin sa tulong ng BARMM. Kami po na Teduray Indigenous people, in South Upi, Maguindanao Del Sur at taos pusong ngpapasalamat sa tulong na binibigay ng BARMM.”

[We are grateful to the BARMM Government through MOST-BARMM because we participated in what they call Values Transformation Training, which we did not know that we are also part of BARMM and we will not be behind and we will further strengthen our cooperative with the help of BARMM. We, the Teduray Indigenous people, in South Upi, Maguindanao Del Sur are sincerely grateful for the help provided by BARMM.]

VTT is a training designed to promote the importance of values in performing one’s duty in any profession, most importantly in the context of development and humanitarian works. This training would help them uphold and apply those learnings wholeheartedly to become an effective and efficient part of the organization.

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