The Ateneo Center for Local Governance (CLG) conducted the Training on Building and Strengthening Local M&D Institutions on 12-14 November 2014 in Rendezvous Resort, Masbate City. It was attended by the same participants who attended the first training event held last September 2014 at Sorsogon City with the addition of participants coming from the Provincial Government of Masbate, City Government of Masbate, Municipal Governments of Guinobatanand Nabua. 

This training event is the second one among the capacity building activities under the Joint Migration and Development Initiative (JMDI) Phase II Project in the Bicol Region of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) with funding support from the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation and the European Union in partnership with the Commission on Filipinos Overseas (CFO), City Government of Naga, and the Ateneo de Naga University.

The said training involved workshops on situational analysis of their plans and programs created during the first training, identifying possible partners and support groups for their Identified M&D Structure, site visit to an actual One-Stop Resource Center, implementation and resource mobilization plan.

The said activity also involved sharing of experiences and inputs from guest presenters. The invited presenters were the following: Ric Casco of the International Organization for Migration (IOM), Ramon B. Marcaida III of the Provincial Planning and Development Office of Masbate, Kristina B. Oliveros of the National Reintegration Center for OFWs of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE-Region V Office, and Ms. Marissa Camacho of the Ayala Foundation, Inc.

The main objective of the training is for the Local Government Units to be able to layout the plan on how to implement, operationalize, sustain, and monitor and evaluate their local M&D Units.

The said training was facilitated by Dr. Malu C. Barcillano and Jay P. Abawag while Julie Ann Prado served as the documenter.

by Jay P. Abawag