COTABATO CITY, PHILIPPINES — Building on the gains of earlier peace and development efforts in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), the Bangsamoro Camps Transformation Project, Phase 2 (BCTP/2) was officially launched today following the signing of a Project Partnership Agreement between Community and Family Services International (CFSI) and the Bangsamoro Development Agency (BDA Inc.).

The project is funded through the Bangsamoro Normalization Trust Fund (BNTF) which is administered by the World Bank, with BDA Inc. serving as the Lead Community Implementing Patner.

The launch of BCTP/2 marks a significant milestone in continued efforts towards the transformation of MILF camp communities into sustainable and productive communities, building on the achievements of the first phase of the BCTP, which was implemented from July 2023 through June 2025. During its first phase, the project delivered notable improvements in access to essential services, infrastructure, and livelihood opportunities through inclusive, community-driven approaches. It also strengthened community cohesion , fostered local ownership, and initiated institutional linkages with the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) government and Local Government Units (LGUs).

BCTP/2 aims to improve access to basic social and economic services in target barangays within the six previously acknowledged camps of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF): Camp Abubakar as-Siddique, Camp Bilal, Camp Badre, Camp Bushra Somiorang, Camp Omar ibn al-Khattab, and Camp Rajamuda. Sites covered by the BCTP/2 were selected from the 36 priority barangays identified under the Camps Transformation Investment Programme (CTIP).

BCTP/2 is anchored on the Community-Driven Development (CDD) approach and places strong emphasis on participatory community diagnostics and the use of community scorecards to ensure that interventions are responsive to local needs and priorities. The project also integrates disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation measures across all activities and ensures full compliance with the World Bank Environmental and Social Standards (ESS).

An estimated 47,000 individuals are expected to benefit, directly and indirectly, from the project. This comprises cooperatives, People’s Organizations (POs), community members, and households in the target barangays.

Project implementation will be undertaken in close coordination with BARMM ministries, offices, and agencies, LGUs, Joint Task Forces on Camps Transformation, community stakeholders, and other relevant government line agencies.

Oversight for the project will be provided by a Project Board co-chaired by representatives of the Government of the Philippines (GPH) and the MILF, underscoring the continued partnership and shared commitment to peacebuilding and sustainable development in the Bangsamoro.

The BNTF is a multi-donor trust fund established to support the normalization track of the peace process. The BNTF is supported by the Governments of Australia, Canada, the European Union, and the United Kingdom, and is administered by the World Bank. The project contributes to the broader objective of supporting the normalization process and transforming former MILF camps into peaceful, resilient, and productive communities.

For more information, please contact:

Noraida Abdullah Karim

Director for Mindanao Programme, CFSI

0917-844-4773, nakarim@cfsi.ph

 

Kadafy Sinulinding

BCTP Project Coordinator, BDA Inc.

0906-364-3661, kadafy_1983@yahoo.com.ph