World Bank, CFSI ink $4 million Bangsamoro project grant

MANILA, Philippines — The World Bank and humanitarian organization Community and Family Services International (CFSI) signed a $4 million grant agreement for a project that seeks to promote economic development in the Bangsamoro region.

The World Bank said the project, which is being financed under the Bangsamoro Normalization Trust Fund (BNTF), would provide support and help increased incomes of to approximately 39,200 people in six rural communities.

The fund, established in 2021, oversees assistance from development partners for the decommissioning of Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) combatants in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

The BNTF is funded by the governments of Australia, Canada, the European Union and the United Kingdom.

“The approval of the first project to be financed under this trust fund is an important milestone in bringing critical services to the camp communities within the normalization process,” World Bank country director for Brunei, Malaysia, Philippines and Thailand Ndiamé Diop said.

According to Diop, the long-term goal is to contribute to income stabilization and food security of households in these communities through improved basic infrastructure, enhanced livelihood diversification, and climate-smart agriculture.

As lead partner to CFSI, the World Bank said the Bangsamoro Development Agency or the development arm of the MILF would head the implementation of project activities at the community level.

The project focuses on increasing incomes from agriculture, the main economic activity in the covered communities, through capacity building and skills development for cooperatives and women’s groups.

It also involves infrastructure improvements such as solar driers, rice mills or drainage canals, and agricultural inputs.

Communities would be involved in setting infrastructure priorities, while targeted cooperatives would make decisions on their chosen area of focus and support.

“This project provides an important entry point for strengthening collaboration across different levels of government and stakeholders such as communities, local government units, regional ministries, and other contributors to the peace process,” World Bank senior social development specialist Ditte Marie Fallesen said.

Fallesen, who also serves as the task team leader for the project, said climate and disaster risks present significant challenges in the camp communities and require a multi-stakeholder approach to build community resilience.