By
Jun Enriquez
(3rd from right) OPAPP ASEC Rolly Asuncion, (2nd from right) PAMANA Chair Musa Snguila Resource Person and presiding officer, respectively. |
Iligan
City – It was the 23rd Payapa at Masaganang Pamayanan (PAMANA) meeting
held on August 16, 2016 at Hotel Alemania this city and discussed among others the assessments and updates of project implentations.
PAMANA is the national government’s convergence program that extends
development interventions to isolated, hard-to-reach and conflict-affected
communities, ensuring that they are not left behind. The design and delivery of
PAMANA is conflict-sensitive and peace-promoting (CSPP) to avoid the recurrence
of any source of conflict. With a number of national line agencies as
implementing partners, PAMANA remains as the government’s flagship program for
conflict-vulnerable and –affected areas in the country—covering all existing
peace tables and agreements. The PAMANA projects in Lanao del Note totaled to
at least 63.5 Million pesos composed of Agriculture development for the people
affected by the conflict, construction of farm to market roads, livelihood
projects to former combatants, agriculture development, farm implements and
equipments, farm animals, and livestock raising, livelihood skills training
program and alternative learning system are also included in the project.
4th from right, Linamon Mayor Randy Macapil |
National
government agencies involved are the Department of Agriculture (DA), Department
of Interior and Local Government (DILG), Department of Social Welfare and Development
(DSWD), Commission on Higher Education (CHED). This included the security
sector, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), Philippine National Police
(PNP). Also include the Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) in partnership with
the identified communities by providing culture of peace education as part of
the conflict transformation program. At least 63.5 million pesos worth of
projects mostly on Agriculture development were given to the local government
units to be implemented on communities affected by the conflict.
Mr.
Musa Sangila, chairman of the PAMANA Lanaw said he is very thankful of the
cooperation of the local government chief executives in attending meetings to
update the status of the PMANA projects in their respective communities. Some
of the project implementations were on delay due to the just concluded
elections in May 2016. Other unimplemented projects in previous years were forfeited
and budget for those projects were return back to the general fund.
Assistant
Secretary Rolly Asuncion, for the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the
Peace Process (OPAPP) said PAMANA projects will continue to be implemented in the
identified conflict affected areas especially in Lanao del Norte. He said the
OPAPP will recommend to the AFP to establish two Engineering brigade to
implement infrastructure projects to far flung areas which are unreachable by
the contractors due to safety issues. This idea was brought up by Col. Ezra
James Enriquez, Deputy Commander of the 2nd Mechanized Infantry “Magbalantay”
Brigade, Philippine Army based in Ma. Cristina, Iligan City.
Former
Commander Abedin Sanguila, former combatant of the Moro National Liberation Front
(MNLF) border command, based in Bacolod, Lanao del Norte said that their group
is one of the beneficiaries of the arms-to-farms program. They acquired mechanized
farm tractor, seeds and seedlings, livestock and farm animals. He said “meron na
kaming livelihood ngayon bigay ng gobyerno at kailangan naming alagaan ito.” It
means we acquired livelihood projects from the government and we will take care
of this.
Assistant
Secretary Rolly Asuncion, on the other hand said that the government expressed
concern on the Six-point Peace and Development Agenda of the Government. First,
is the Continuity of the GPH-MILF Peace Process through implementation of the
Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CAB), Assessment and formulation of an enhanced
approach and timetable (roadmap) for the implementation of the CAB and its
annexes and sub-agreements;
Fourth,
the Closure of the peace agreements with the Communist Peoples Liberation Army
(CPLA) and the Rebolusyonaryong Partido ng Manggagawa – Pilipinas/Revolutionary
Proletariat Army/Alex Bongcayao Brigade (RPMP-RPA-ABB). Fifth, is the Development
in conflict-affected areas, Enhancement of the Peace and Development framework
making social cohesion, conflict transformation and good governance as
cornerstones, accelerated implementation of peace and development projects in areas
covered by peace agreements.
Sixth,
Promotion of the culture of peace and conflict sensitivity in peace building
and development, continuing the work of integrating gender in the peace process
including the implementation of the National Action Plan on Women, Peace and
Security Support to and capacity building for local conflict resolution, Integration,
healing and reconciliation of former combatants and conflict affected
communities, among others.
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