Cotabato City, Philippines — Two senior staffers from Transforming Fragilities, Inc. (TFI) participated in the prestigious Mindanao Peacebuilding Institute’s Annual Training Program last May to strengthen their peacebuilding expertise and enhance their organization’s capacity to serve conflict-affected communities in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM). , Their participation to the annual training program was sponsored by GIZ Philippines’ Civil Peace Service (CPS).
Judith Joy Libarnes, TFI’s Managing Director, and Princess Balinte-Malaguial, MERL Associate, attended separate specialized courses during the two-week intensive training program held from May 19-30, 2025, at the Mergrande Ocean Resort in Davao City.
Ms. Balinte-Malaguial participated in the Trauma-informed and Resilience-oriented Practice (TRP) Course during Week 1 (May 19-23, 2025), which was facilitated by Al Fuertes and Gail Ilagan. The course focused on community-based psychosocial trauma healing as a vital component of peacebuilding work.
Ms. Libarnes attended the Designing Peace Programs (DPP) Course during Week 2 (May 26-30, 2025), co-facilitated by Jon Rudy and Tala Bautista. This course provided participants with frameworks and methodologies for developing effective peacebuilding interventions.
The participation of these two key TFI leaders in MPI’s Annual Training Program demonstrates the organization’s commitment to continuous learning and professional development in the peacebuilding field. TFI, founded in 2018, is a local NGO based in Cotabato City that provides research, monitoring and evaluation, learning, and organizational development services to peacebuilding, humanitarian, and development organizations.
As a research and evaluation organization with operational coverage across Mindanao and selected provinces in Visayas and Luzon, TFI has built a strong reputation for supporting evidence-based programming and transparent, accountable organizational practices.
The Mindanao Peacebuilding Institute, established in 2000, is an Asian training institute that provides a space for people of diverse backgrounds to gather, share, and learn in a safe environment where all viewpoints are encouraged and respected. Since its inception, MPI has trained over 2,000 peacebuilders from more than 50 countries around the globe.
The Annual Peacebuilding Training consists of Foundation, Thematic, and Field-Based courses taught by distinguished facilitators from Asia-Pacific, Africa, and North America. The program allows participants to enroll for one, two, or all three weeks, with courses designed to lay fundamental parameters, delve into strategic applications, and provide real-world learning opportunities.
The enhanced knowledge and skills acquired by Ms. Libarnes and Ms. Balinte-Malaguial during their MPI training will directly benefit TFI’s ongoing work in supporting peacebuilding initiatives across Mindanao. Their participation reinforces TFI’s mission to advocate for data-driven community development leading to positive societal change and to maintain the highest standards of professionalism, integrity, and objectivity in their work.
The training represents a significant investment in human capital development, ensuring that TFI continues to provide high-quality technical assistance to organizations working toward lasting peace and sustainable development in the region.
