LIVELIHOOD PACT. The 4th Marine Brigade (MBde) and the municipality of Banguingui, Sulu sign on Dec. 6, 2020 a memorandum of understanding (MOU) as partners to promote, develop, and market the seafood products of the Banguingui Women Livelihood Multi-Purpose Cooperative. The signatories were Col. Ruben Candelario, 4MBde commander (seated, right), and officials of the cooperative and municipality of Banguingui, formerly known as Tongkil town. (Photo courtesy of 4MBde)
ZAMBOANGA CITY – The 4th Marine Brigade (MBde) and the municipality of Banguingui, Sulu have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) as partners for the promotion, product development, and marketing of seafood products.
Col. Ruben Candelario, 4MBde commander, said Tuesday the MOU signing was done during the launch of the sardines-making project of the municipal government-sponsored and organized Banguingui Women Livelihood Multi-Purpose Cooperative (BWLMPC) in Barangay Dungun, Banguingui town, formerly known as the municipality of Tongkil on Dec. 6.
Candelario said the MOU seeks to ensure the success of the livelihood project of the cooperative.
Aside from Candelario, the other MOU signatories are the officials of the Banguingui municipality, BWLMPC, Department of Agriculture, and of the Society for Peace, Economic, Environment, and Development (SPEED) Philippines.
The signing of the MOU is the realization of Candelario’s thesis for his Master in National Security Administration (MNSA) at the National Defense College of the Philippines (NDCP) entitled: “The Non-Conventional Role of AFP in Social Enterprise with the Poor as Primary Stakeholders (SEPPS): An Integrated Approach towards Sustainable Peace and Development in Sulu.”
Candelario said his research showed that the sustainability of peace and security in the area is the sustainability of its economic security, less unemployment, and less underemployment.
He said the bounty of seafood resources and other unexplored potentials for small and medium cottage industry made Banguingui an ideal model for a prototype for the implementation of the research concept.
Candelario said that he banked his research on the idea that genuine relations married with economic security equate to a sustainable social enterprise.
The seafood products of the BWLMPC were developed through the initiatives of the Marine Battalion Landing Team-8 (MBLT-8) led by Lt. Col. Allan Angelo Tolentino and Gagandilan Mindanao Women, Inc. (GMWI), who trained the members of the BWLMPC on the sardines-making project.
Initiating innovations and avoiding market competition, Banguingui Municipal Councilor Hja. Kerma Agga developed the recipe by using abundant seafood resources from the different island barangays with a distinct variety of sea snails, conch, shellfish meat, clams, and other mollusks.
Using the same concept of sardines-making, it produces high-quality seafood gourmet that supports and uplifts the lives and livelihood of women who mostly belong to the immediate families of Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF), and Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) surrenderers.
To complete the cycle of inclusive business, Candelario said his command provided for the security, logistics, transport, and distribution from high risks areas to the market farm gate.
SPEED Philippines developed product branding, labeling, product development, and quality control while DA Assistant Secretary for Agribusiness and Marketing Kristine Evangelista provided the legal backbone and avenue for grants and capital outlay.
Meanwhile, Candelario encouraged the populace of Barangay Dungun, Banguingui to continue the effort that has been started and enhance the training and innovation.
“This noble endeavor is a great opportunity for us to reach out to the people of Sulu, extend our assistance, and bring about peace and reconciliation,” said Lt. Gen. Corleto Vinluan Jr., commander of the Western Mindanao Command (Westmincom). (PNA)
