29/05/2026
𝐁𝐑𝐄𝐄𝐃𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐇𝐨𝐩𝐞: 𝐅𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐀𝐫𝐦𝐞𝐝 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐠𝐠𝐥𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐍𝐞𝐰 𝐁𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬
What once began as a life marked by uncertainty and hardship has now transformed into a journey of resilience and growth for the members of the 602nd RCAP Association in the Special Geographic Area (SGA).
Located in Mudseng, Kadayangan, the association is composed of former Moro Islamic Liberation Front (M**F) combatants who are now embracing peaceful and productive lives through entrepreneurship.
Officially registered as a rural workers’ association under the Ministry of Labor and Employment (MOLE) on June 17, 2025, the group has become one of the many beneficiaries of the Ministry’s Bangsamoro Rural Employment through Entrepreneurial Development (BREED) program.
On February 8, 2026, during the celebration of the 7th SGA founding anniversary in the Municipality of Kadayangan, the association officially received their P50,000 livelihood grant from the BREED program that helped expand their venture of rice retailing and direct selling of personal care products.
With careful management and shared responsibility, the association gradually strengthened its operations. For 60-year-old association president Hassanudin Sugod, what started as an opportunity for livelihood has now become a source of stability and renewed hope among its members.
“𝘚𝘢 𝘵𝘶𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘱𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘬𝘢𝘣𝘶𝘩𝘢𝘺𝘢𝘯 𝘯𝘢 𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘨𝘢𝘱 𝘯𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘯 𝘮𝘶𝘭𝘢 𝘴𝘢 𝘔𝘖𝘓𝘌, 𝘯𝘢𝘬𝘢𝘢𝘩𝘰𝘯 𝘬𝘢𝘮𝘪 𝘴𝘢 𝘬𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘪𝘴 𝘥𝘢𝘩𝘪𝘭 𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘵 𝘯𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘯 𝘴𝘢 𝘮𝘢𝘣𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘢𝘢𝘯 𝘯𝘢 𝘮𝘢𝘱𝘢𝘨𝘬𝘢𝘬𝘢𝘬𝘪𝘵𝘢𝘢𝘯 𝘺𝘶𝘯𝘨 𝘯𝘢𝘬𝘶𝘩𝘢 𝘯𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘱𝘶𝘩𝘶𝘯𝘢𝘯,” he shared.
More than economic recovery, the journey of the association reflects the continuing aspirations of former combatants to contribute positively to the Bangsamoro homeland through peaceful means. Sugod emphasized that their struggle for self-determination did not end with laying down arms, but continues through building stronger and more self-reliant communities.
“𝘉𝘪𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘨 𝘥𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘣𝘢𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘵, 𝘱𝘢𝘵𝘶𝘭𝘰𝘺 𝘬𝘰 𝘱𝘢 𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘴𝘢𝘣𝘶𝘩𝘢𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘨 𝘫𝘪𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘢 𝘴𝘢 𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧-𝘥𝘦𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘥𝘢𝘩𝘪𝘭 𝘪𝘵𝘰 𝘢𝘯𝘨 𝘯𝘢𝘨𝘥𝘢𝘭𝘢 𝘴𝘢 𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘯 𝘴𝘢 𝘬𝘶𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯𝘰 𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘨 𝘉𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘴𝘢𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘰 𝘯𝘨𝘢𝘺𝘰𝘯. 𝘈𝘯𝘨 𝘭𝘢𝘺𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘵𝘰 𝘢𝘯𝘨 𝘯𝘢𝘨𝘣𝘪𝘨𝘢𝘺 𝘥𝘢𝘢𝘯 𝘶𝘱𝘢𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘶𝘩𝘢 𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘬𝘢𝘳𝘢𝘱𝘢𝘵𝘢𝘯 𝘣𝘪𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘨𝘢 𝘉𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘴𝘢𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘰,” he said.
For Jun Lakiman, secretary of the association, their aspirations go beyond sustaining a livelihood. The association hopes to continue growing so they can extend opportunities and assistance to others as well.
“𝘕𝘢𝘨𝘴𝘶𝘴𝘶𝘮𝘪𝘬𝘢𝘱 𝘬𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘭𝘶𝘮𝘢𝘨𝘰 𝘱𝘢 𝘢𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘴𝘰𝘴𝘢𝘴𝘺𝘰𝘯 𝘯𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘯 𝘥𝘢𝘩𝘪𝘭 𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘢𝘮𝘪 𝘱𝘢 𝘬𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘱𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘢𝘳𝘢𝘱 𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘪 𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘨 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘢 𝘴𝘢 𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘯, 𝘬𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘪 𝘱𝘢𝘵𝘪 𝘯𝘢 𝘳𝘪𝘯 𝘴𝘢 𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘬𝘢𝘱𝘸𝘢 𝘭𝘢𝘭𝘰 𝘯𝘢 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘢 𝘴𝘢 𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘣𝘶𝘬𝘢𝘴𝘢𝘯 𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘨𝘢 𝘢𝘯𝘢𝘬,” Lakiman said.
Long before their association became officially registered, both Sugod and Lakiman actively participated in seminars and capability-building activities conducted by MOLE, including financial literacy training.
They would help one another take notes, exchange ideas, and relay what they learned to fellow members. For them, every seminar became an opportunity not only to improve their organization, but also to prepare for a more stable future for their families and communities.
For many of the members, the peace and stability they experience today stand in contrast to the hardships they once endured as combatants.
“𝘕𝘰𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘯𝘢𝘬𝘪𝘬𝘪𝘱𝘢𝘨𝘴𝘢𝘱𝘢𝘭𝘢𝘳𝘢𝘯 𝘱𝘢 𝘬𝘢𝘮𝘪, 𝘮𝘢𝘥𝘢𝘭𝘢𝘴 𝘬𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘯𝘢𝘴𝘢 𝘵𝘶𝘣𝘪𝘨𝘢𝘯 𝘰 𝘬𝘢𝘺𝘢 𝘯𝘢𝘴𝘢 𝘣𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘰𝘬 𝘯𝘢 𝘶𝘮𝘢𝘢𝘬𝘺𝘢𝘵. 𝘏𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘪 𝘬𝘢𝘮𝘪 𝘯𝘢𝘬𝘢𝘵𝘶𝘵𝘶𝘭𝘰𝘨 𝘢𝘵 𝘯𝘢𝘬𝘢𝘬𝘢𝘬𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘯𝘢𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘢𝘢𝘺𝘰𝘴 𝘥𝘢𝘩𝘪𝘭 𝘵𝘢𝘨𝘰 𝘬𝘢𝘮𝘪 𝘯𝘢𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘢𝘨𝘰. 𝘔𝘢𝘭𝘢𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘱𝘢𝘨𝘴𝘶𝘣𝘰𝘬 𝘥𝘪𝘯 𝘺𝘶𝘯𝘨 𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘪 𝘬𝘢𝘮𝘪 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘢𝘱𝘢𝘨𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘢𝘱𝘣𝘶𝘩𝘢𝘺 𝘢𝘵 𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘪 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘢𝘱𝘢𝘨𝘵𝘢𝘱𝘰𝘴 𝘯𝘨 𝘱𝘢𝘨-𝘢𝘢𝘳𝘢𝘭,” Lakiman recalled.
But with the opportunities now available under the Bangsamoro Government, life has gradually changed for the better. He also expressed gratitude to the Bangsamoro Government and MOLE for giving associations like theirs a chance to rebuild their lives through sustainable livelihood opportunities.
“𝘕𝘨𝘢𝘺𝘰𝘯, 𝘯𝘢𝘱𝘢𝘬𝘢𝘭𝘢𝘺𝘢 𝘯𝘢. 𝘐𝘣𝘢 𝘳𝘪𝘯 𝘱𝘢𝘨 𝘮𝘢𝘭𝘢𝘺𝘢 𝘢𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘴𝘢𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘢𝘰 𝘬𝘢𝘴𝘪 𝘬𝘢𝘩𝘪𝘵 𝘴𝘢𝘢𝘯 𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘮𝘢𝘱𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘢, 𝘸𝘢𝘭𝘢 𝘬𝘢𝘯𝘨 𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘢𝘬𝘶𝘵𝘢𝘯,” he said.
For decades, many former combatants in the Bangsamoro carried the burden of conflict while holding on to the dream of a peaceful and self-determined future for their communities.
Today, that same determination is being transformed into opportunities for livelihood and economic recovery through programs that support their transition into civilian life.
For the members of the 602nd RCAP Association, interventions like the BREED program represent more than financial assistance—they symbolize a chance to begin anew and the enduring promise of a better future for every Bangsamoro.
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𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘔𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘓𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘌𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘰𝘺𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵, 𝘭𝘦𝘥 𝘣𝘺 𝘔𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘔𝘶𝘴𝘭𝘪𝘮𝘪𝘯 "𝖡𝖺𝗉𝖺 𝖬𝗎𝗌" 𝘎. 𝘚𝘦𝘮𝘢, 𝘦𝘯𝘷𝘪𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘢 𝘥𝘦𝘤𝘦𝘯𝘵, 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘦𝘵𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦, 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘥𝘶𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘦𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘰𝘺𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘉𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘴𝘢𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘰.
