In the year 2006, armed conflict in the Municipality of Mamasapano broke out which forced it’s

residents to flee from their homes to seek refuge and avoid being caught in the clash. With a
heavy heart, they left their belongings and abandoned their treasured farms which are the
primary source of their income. The children’s education was also severely affected and most of
them did not return to school. Life for them was already difficult but it became aggravated by
seemingly never-ending arm conflicts in their locality. The cries of the hungry children and sick
elders filled the tents as their weary body laid upon the bed of earth. Although the Mayor of the
said Municipality accommodated and provided for them tents for their temporary settlement as
well as relief goods for their basic needs, these are not enough. Given the fact that most of the
families have lost their source of income, the LGU needs to do something to support and sustain
the needs of the refugees.

By the year 2009, the LGU of Mamasapano initiated an intervention to address the distressful
situation of the refugees. Mamasapano Technical - Vocational Education and Training Center
(MTVETC) was built through the initiative of the LGU and in partnership with Technical
Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) ARMM to provide technical and
vocational education to the refugees in the hope of reducing the numbers of unemployed and find
ways to break the education barriers. The initiative became a huge success and apart from the
refugees, other constituents of the said municipality also enrolled and benefited. But because of
limited resources, they can only accommodate a few students. During this time, the management
realized the need and planned for the expansion and improvement of the MTVETC to
accommodate the increasing number of enrollees but unfortunately, lack of budget and other
financial constraints became impediment for its realization. 

The opportunity to realize the plan came during the year 2011 when the LGU of Mamasapano
was recognized for its exemplary performance and awarded with approximately 1 million pesos
through the Performance Challenge Fund (PCF) program. This is one of the programs of the
Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) which aims to recognize LGUs
exhibiting good performance in internal housekeeping particularly in the areas of transparency
and accountability, planning, fiscal management, and valuing performance monitoring. 

The fund was used for the repair and improvement of facilities, and the expansion of MTVETC
to cater more enrollees. One of the beneficiaries of the said project was Mr. Tatonot B. Gani. He
was a “payong-payong” driver who struggled to survive the challenges of life together with his
wife and five children. He immediately enrolled for a welding course when he learned that
MTVETC is giving a free scholarship. The mayor of the said Municipality also encouraged the
beneficiaries to become instructors in the training center after they finished their respective
courses. The encouragement inspired Mr. Tato and so, after finishing the course at MTVETC, he
continued his studies in TESDA until such time that he was allowed to take the Licensure Exam
for Teachers (LET) and successfully passed it. 
 Presently, Mr. Tato is already a teacher in Mamasapano National High School and also owns a
small business in computer services. His dedication and perseverance have finally paid off. He
was able to save his family from the pangs of poverty and became a productive member of
society. Teacher Tato is only one of the beneficiaries whose life has changed for better despite
the struggles. He was very grateful for the opportunity that was given to him by MTVETC for it
became his stepping stones to achieve his dreams. And with the aid of PCF program, more lives
have changed and more dreams have been achieved.