More villages in Mindanao to have access to livelihood funds

From the Philippine News Agency (Dec 27): More villages in Mindanao to have access to livelihood funds

More conflict-affected villages in Mindanao will have access to livelihood and basic services from the national government, an official from the Office of the Presidential Assistant for the Peace Process (OPAPP) said on Wednesday. OPAPP Secretary Teresita Deles said that funds would be poured in 21 conflict-affected towns in Mindanao to help speed up reconstruction and provide jobs to unemployed residents to these areas. The assistance, Deles said, is made possible with the recent approval of a US$ 5.251 million additional grant for the Mindanao Trust Fund (MTF).

The fund is designed to improve social and facilitate economic recovery in at least 65 villages in these conflict-torn communities. Deles explained that the additional financing for the MTF will help the country’s efforts to heal, rehabilitate and develop conflict-affected areas. “It will also strengthen the constituency for peace and citizen's participation on the ground,” she said.

The World Bank and other international development partners established the MTF in 2006 as a mechanism for pooling funds and coordinating support for conflict-affected areas in Mindanao. So far, the MTF has completed 240 reconstruction and development projects in 154 conflict-affected communities in 75 municipalities across Mindanao. Under the program, residents of these communities choose and implement their own projects that enable them to recover from the conflict and improve their living conditions.

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