Mobilizing Constituents for Community Empowerment

Humbled and deeply grateful for this recognition of service and commitment to livelihood development, community empowerment, and peacebuilding initiatives in the Bangsamoro Region. Moments like this serve as a reminder that genuine public service is never measured by titles, but by the lives transformed, communities strengthened, and opportunities created for people to rise with dignity and hope.

Honored to deliver a message of support during the culmination program of the WISEE Project in Barangay Mataya, Buldon, Maguindanao del Norte together with the women of the Potri Women Cooperative. This meaningful extension project was implemented by the faculty of the College of Arts and Sciences under the leadership of Dr. Norkaina C. Samama as Project Leader, with the presence and support of the Director of the Extension Services Office, Dr. Samsia Ibrahim. In my message, I shared my happiness in witnessing another successful capacity building initiative in Buldon and challenged the women participants to envision where they want to see themselves three to five years from now. As Director of the Quality Management System Office, one question often asked after extension projects is: “Nasaan na ang mga beneficiaries after several years?” That is why sustainability, growth, and real transformation must always be the goal. I also shared that my support for extension initiatives in Buldon has been there from the very beginning, especially in the formation of the RISE Program, the flagship extension initiative of Cotabato State University, which paved the way for the implementation of many community based projects in the municipality. Programs like this do not only build skills and livelihoods, but also strengthen peace by empowering communities, creating opportunities, and inspiring people to believe in a better future. 🤍✨

Received a Plaque of Appreciation from OWWA BARMM during its 44th Anniversary Celebration at KCC Convention Center, Cotabato City, in recognition of contributions supporting the welfare and protection of OFWs and their families in the Bangsamoro Region.
Grateful for the opportunity to be part of this work, continuing to serve where it matters most.

A meeting on the collaboration on the possible adoption of the peacebuilding framework designed through a research conducted in maguindanao del norte, together with colonel mabute and colleagues from 6th infantry division

Back in 2018, in Barangay Minabay, this advocacy began with the youth. No grand setup but was just honest conversations in the river. We shared meals in a simple picnic with youth leaders. But those moments carried something deeper. The river became more than a place as it became a space where people could sit together, talk, listen, and understand one another.
That has always been the heart of Payapang Ilog- the belief that in rural communities, the river is not only a source of life but a natural venue for peace. A place where people can gather, hold dialogues, reconnect, and at the same time do something meaningful for their environment.
Today, that same spirit flows stronger in Barangay Nuyo, Maguindanao del Norte. The initiative has grown not just in participation but in purpose. The youth are still leading, now joined by community members and barangay leaders, coming together not only to act, but to relate.
We released fish, planted trees, and cleaned the river. more importantly, we created a space where people worked side by side, talked openly, and rebuilt connections. What looks like simple activities are, in reality, acts of peacebuilding through shared responsibility and social cohesion.
During our courtesy visit to the Barangay Hall, the LGU committed to sustaining this effort by preparing a barangay ordinance to protect the river from destructive practices such as illegal and poisonous fishing, while preserving traditional and sustainable ways.
From its simple beginnings, Payapang Ilog continues to grow into what it was meant to be a living space for dialogue, unity, and peace, where communities gather not only to enjoy the river, but to protect it, together.

Lecture on culture of peace and gender sensitivity to bjmp officials of zamboanga peninsula.

Fruitful talks on peace papers

Some of the achievements of the University

Conducting entrepreneurship development training