Following a three-day orientation on RAP-WPS and Women Economic Empowerment, 61 women leaders developed action plans and livelihood initiatives, culminating in the turnover of livelihood support packages to Women Political Committees of MILF in Maguindanao and to WIMPAD in the Special Geographic Areas.

Cotabato City, Philippines –  The Moro Women Development and Cultural Center, Inc. (MWDECC), under the PROSPER Bangsamoro Project, and in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), with support from the Australian Government (Australian Aid), successfully conducted the Orientation on the Regional Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security (RAP-WPS) and Women Economic Empowerment (WEE) from April 17–19, 2026 at Pagana Kutawato Native Restaurant, Cotabato City.

The activity brought together 61 women leaders and community representatives from Maguindanao del Norte, Maguindanao del Sur, and Special Geographic Area (SGA), strengthening their roles in peacebuilding, governance, and economic development.

The discussions were grounded in the lived realities of participants, beginning with reflections on experiences of conflict and displacement. Women shared how they navigate crises, protect their families, and sustain their communities – highlighting their critical role not only as survivors, but as active peacebuilders.

Participants were oriented on the four pillars of RAP-WPS – Participation and Empowerment, Protection and Prevention, Promotion and Mainstreaming, and Monitoring and Evaluation – and explored how these translate into local action. The sessions emphasized inclusive participation, including engaging men as partners, and strengthening community support systems.

The activity also introduced the concept of gender justice within the Bangsamoro context, reinforcing women’s rights to economic participation, leadership, and decision-making.

Through participatory workshops, participants identified key challenges such as poverty, limited access to markets, gender inequality, and low participation in decision-making. These were translated into localized action plans with clear roles, timelines, and support mechanisms.

As part of the Women’s Economic Empowerment component, participants developed three livelihood implementation plans:

• Banana chips production
• Rice and farm inputs retailing
• Tables and chairs rental and catering services

A key milestone of the activity was the official turnover of livelihood support packages to women’s cooperatives and organizations, enabling participants to operationalize their plans and transition from capacity-building to implementation.

To ensure sustainability, follow-through actions were established, including cooperative registration, opening of bank accounts, role assignments, inventory systems, and continued coaching and technical support. A bilateral meeting further reinforced accountability mechanisms and operational planning.

Participants described the activity as transformative – many expressed that it was their first time fully understanding cooperative systems and their roles as economic actors. The experience strengthened their confidence, leadership, and commitment to collective action.

In her closing message, Dr. Judith de Guzman, UNDP Philippines Peacebuilding and Project Manager, emphasized the vision of building prosperous and inclusive communities, where women are seen, heard, and actively engaged in governance and decision-making.

Overall, the initiative demonstrates that integrating RAP-WPS and WEE under the PROSPER Bangsamoro Project provides a holistic pathway toward empowerment, resilience, and sustainable peace in BARMM.

About MWDECC and UNDP

The Moro Women Development and Cultural Center, Inc. (MWDECC) is a women-led organization advancing women’s leadership, peacebuilding, and economic empowerment in conflict-affected communities in Mindanao. The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) works in over 170 countries to eradicate poverty, reduce inequalities, and build resilient institutions for sustainable development.

About the PROSPER Bangsamoro Project

The PROSPER Bangsamoro Project supports inclusive peacebuilding, governance, and economic empowerment initiatives to strengthen resilience and sustainable development in the Bangsamoro region.

Through MWDECC’s Training of Trainers, Women Peace Advocates are equipped to train others – multiplying women-led peacebuilding efforts across communities.

LAKE SEBU, South Cotabato – Grounded in the principle that peace is more inclusive, sustainable, and effective when women are actively involved, the Moro Women Development and Cultural Center (MWDECC) successfully conducted a three-day Training of Trainers (ToT) on the Regional Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security (RAP-WPS) from January 21 to 23, 2026 at The Dreamweavers Hill, Lake Sebu, South Cotabato.

The Training of Trainers aimed to deepen the knowledge and understanding of Women Peace Advocates on RAP-WPS, including its four key pillars: Protection and Prevention, Empowerment and Participation, Promotion and Mainstreaming, and Monitoring and Evaluation. It also strengthened participants’ facilitation skills in conducting trainings and community dialogues, enabling them to serve as trainers and advocates in their respective communities. In addition, the activity enhanced coordination and collective action among MWDECC staff and Women Peace Advocates in advancing the RAP-WPS agenda in Maguindanao del Norte and Maguindanao del Sur.

The initiative emphasized that access to training and platforms enables women to move beyond survival roles and take on active leadership in community development and decision-making. It further recognized that while women are often perceived as victims of conflict, they are also leaders, mediators, and peacebuilders whose contributions are essential yet frequently overlooked.

One of the Women Peace Advocate, Robaina Akil, described RAP-WPS as a strategic roadmap for ensuring women’s security and protection. She emphasized the importance of recognizing women’s roles in contributing to regional development and underscored that kawagib (rights) must be fully realized for all women in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).

Participants also emphasized the importance of capacitating women to break the culture of silence, strengthen their roles in their communities, and actively engage in peacebuilding and governance. They observed that significant progress has been made in recent years, with increased access to trainings, platforms, and opportunities that empower women to assert their voices and contribute meaningfully to decision-making processes.

Funded by the Women’s Peace and Humanitarian Fund (WPHF), the activity forms part of Project Women STREAM (Strengthening, Empowering, and Activating Women in Maguindanao), implemented by MWDECC in partnership with UN Women. The initiative aims to strengthen women’s participation in conflict management and negotiation processes.

MWDECC affirmed that investing in Women, Peace, and Security is an investment in long-term peace and development – building more resilient, inclusive, and responsive communities.

ASEAN Region, March 30, 2026 – A strong call to center women and communities in peacebuilding efforts resonated at the Southeast Asia Multi-Stakeholder Forum on Sustaining the Gains of the WPS Agenda, organized by the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity (OPAPRU) and held from March 29–31, 2026 in Quezon City, Philippines. At the forum, Baina T. Samayatin, Executive Director of the Moro Women Development and Cultural Center, Inc. (MWDECC), presented the Bangsamoro experience in advancing Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) at the grassroots level.

Drawing from years of community engagement across the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), Samayatin emphasized that sustainable peace is not imposed from the top but “co-created” through inclusive, community-driven processes. “Peace lasts when women lead, communities are heard, and government institutions respond,” she emphasized during her presentation

Women at the Center of Peacebuilding

The presentation highlighted innovative approaches led by civil society organizations (CSOs), particularly women-led platforms that facilitate mediation, dialogue, and conflict resolution at the local level. These initiatives include community-based Early Warning and Early Response (EWER) systems, enabling timely identification and mitigation of conflict risks.

Samayatin also emphasized the importance of bridging grassroots initiatives with formal peace mechanisms to ensure that local voices infrm institutional decision-making. Multi-stakeholder consultations and coalitions – bringing together communities, government actors, and civil society – were cited as critical in shaping responsive and inclusive peace processes.

Communities Speak: Persistent Challenges

Insights gathered from consultations across BARMM revealed ongoing challenges affecting daily life. Communities reported persistent clan conflicts (rido), insecurity, and delays in socio-economic support, undermining trust in institutions. Weak communication channels have also contributed to misinformation about the peace process, while marginalized groups remain excluded from decision-making spaces.

“These realities highlight the gap between policy and lived experience,” Samayatin noted, stressing the need for more responsive and transparent systems.

Community-Driven Solutions

In response, grassroots actors have proposed practical, community-driven solutions. These include establishing Barangay Peace and Security Coordination Hubs, developing real-time conflict alert systems, and institutionalizing regular peace dialogues or “Peace Circles.”

Strengthening transparency in beneficiary systems and grievance mechanisms was also identified as a priority to rebuild trust between communities and institutions.

Key Lessons for the Region

The Bangsamoro experience offers valuable lessons for Southeast Asia. Central among these is the critical role of women’s leadership in driving sustainable peace. Community ownership ensures that interventions remain relevant and effective, while integrated approaches – linking peacebuilding with livelihoods, governance, transitional justice, and resilience – are critical to addressing historical grievances and the root causes of conflict.

Samayatin emphasized that collaboration across sectors and sustained trust-building are essential. “Our experience shows that peacebuilding works best when it is community-driven, inclusive, and connected to institutions,” she said.

Advancing an Inclusive WPS Agenda

The presentation underscored the importance of inclusivity, particularly in engaging marginalized groups such as Indigenous Peoples, internally displaced persons (IDPs), persons with disabilities, and survivors of gender-based violence. Women-led networks, cooperatives, and mediation groups were highlighted as key structures for advancing inclusive governance.

Capacity-building and feedback mechanisms that connect communities directly with institutions were also identified as crucial components of effective WPS implementation.

A Model for ASEAN

As ASEAN continues to strengthen its regional WPS agenda, the Bangsamoro experience offers a compelling model of how grassroots leadership and institutional collaboration can work together to sustain peace.

Samayatin concluded with a clear message to policymakers and practitioners across the region: “Effective WPS implementation must be community-driven, women-led, inclusive, institution-linked, and integrated across sectors.”Her presentation not only showcased grassroots innovations but also reinforced the critical role of community voices in shaping inclusive and sustainable peace across Southeast Asia – calling on governments and regional actors to place women and communities at the center of peacebuilding efforts

Davao City- The BARMM Peace Conference 2025: From Consultation to Action – Advancing Peace Together served as a convergence platform for peace implementing panels, policymakers, advocates, and various community sectors to present and discuss key issues related to the ongoing implementation of the peace process.

Held on December 4, 2025 at the Blue Lotus Hotel in Davao City, the conference highlighted consolidated outputs from multi-stakeholder consultations conducted across all BARMM provinces, including Sulu. The presented Community Peace Agenda captured community perceptions, experiences, and insights on the current status of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB). Representatives from different sectors directly raised concerns to the Peace Implementing Panels, outlining challenges in the implementation of the agreement. Participating agencies were provided the opportunity to respond and identify possible courses of action.

Among those present were MILF-PIP Chairman Mohagher Iqbal, Chairman Cesar B. Yano of the GPH-PIP, and Presidential Assistant David Diciano of the OPAPRU. During the discussions, panel representatives addressed issues under their respective mandates, offering clarifications and insights on matters related to security mechanisms, livelihood and employment gaps, socio-economic support programs, and decommissioning procedures. Concerns related to poverty, inflation, education, and the situation of persons with disabilities affected by armed conflict were also raised.

Minister Iqbal stressed that the full implementation of the CAB remains central to resolving the region’s challenges, emphasizing that peacebuilding requires sincerity, urgency, shared responsibility, and an understanding of Bangsamoro realities. Presidential Assistant and GPH-PİP Chairman Yano acknowledged delays in some areas but reaffirmed the government’s commitment to support the peace agreement’s implementation and advance long-term peace in the region.

The Community Peace Agenda also outlined recommendations aimed at strengthening peace initiatives and contributing to a shared roadmap for sustainable peace.

The conference marked the culmination of Project BORN: Bangsamoro Outlook for the Next Horizon, implemented by the Moro Women Development and Cultural Center, Inc. (MWDECC) in partnership with The Asia Foundation with funding support from the Australian Government. With the theme “Communities at the Core: Driving Peace Agreement Implementation,” the project seeks to provide civil society organizations and community stakeholders with avenues to convey their perspectives on the peace process and articulate their vision for its future direction.

“𝙎𝙖𝙘𝙧𝙞𝙛𝙞𝙘𝙚 𝙞𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙠𝙚𝙮 𝙩𝙤 𝙨𝙪𝙘𝙘𝙚𝙨𝙨.”

It may sound like a worn-out mantra to many, but for Anisa Dagandangan, it is a truth she lives by –  a torch that guided her through darkness and helped her rebuild a life once torn apart.

Gena grew up in the conflict-affected town of Datu Piang, Maguindanao del Sur – a place where the sound of gunshots and the sight of displacement were sadly normal. Her family often had to move from one place to another, seeking safety and peace. That instability left deep scars, not only on her but especially on one of her children who remains traumatized to this day.

Her husband, a humble driver, was the family’s sole breadwinner, and together they struggled to raise five children amid poverty and conflict. Life was, in her words, “mahirap na nga, delikado pa.”

But everything began to change when Gena became part of the Project WEM 2.0 (Women Empowerment in Maguindanao) initiative of the Moro Women Development and Cultural Center, Inc. (MWDECC)– a project funded by Global Affairs Canada through the Philippine Business for Social Progress, Inc. (PBSP). The project aimed to strengthen the operational functionality of six GBV survivors’ cooperativesin Maguindanao del Sur.  

She was introduced to capacity-building activities that rekindled the fire of hope inside her. “Hindi dapat manatili sa ganitong kalagayan,” she told herself, realizing that her family deserved a better life.

Gena took part in every training she could. From being timid and fearful, she slowly began to find her voice. It was in one of these trainings that she first encountered the idea of financial literacy particularly, the concept of pagtitipid. 

“Tipid din ang susi sa tagumpay –  basta marunong kang magsakripisyo,”she said with a smile.

Empowered by this new mindset, she started small. With the support of MWDECC’s livelihood assistance, her cooperative was given 50 ducks. Eventually, they were able to raise chickens and goats as well. What began as a single step slowly turned into a sustainable livelihood.

Her sense of success is simple yet profound. For Gena, it’s in the everyday work she does – raising their livestock that helps sustain the family’s needs. Each duck and chicken she tends to symbolizes not just livelihood, but the quiet triumph of perseverance. Through patience and sacrifice, she has learned that success isn’t always about wealth, but about finding stability and dignity in honest work.