The Autonomous Region in Muslim
In a forum organized here by the ARMM regional government last Sunday, around 50 senior MNLF leaders discussed with ARMM and OPAPP officials how to advance development programs in the MNLF communities.
The collaboration is in line with the agreement reached by the government and the MNLF during their meeting last July 2011 in Solo City, Indonesia to develop a “workable partnership at appropriate levels” to pursue ARMM reforms which the ARMM regional government has taken on.
For this, the regional government engaged the MNLF through the signing of the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) on Joint Partnership for Development.
PAMANA, which is the government’s program and framework for peace and development in conflict-affected and vulnerable areas in the country, targets to spur economic developments in the MNLF communities.
Under the program, senior leaders of the MNLF will identify the type of socio-economic interventions needed in the MNLF communities, while line agencies of the ARMM will implement the projects with OPAPP acting as the oversight body.
The said joint steering committee will include representatives from MNLF, ARMM, OPAPP, local government units, and civil society organizations.
ARMM Governor Mujiv Hataman explained to MNLF leaders that this initiative is “tailor-fit” for the MNLF communities, and it is the role of the MNLF to lead the identification of the projects and its beneficiaries.
“We will make sure that this collaboration of the regional government of ARMM, OPAPP, and MNLF will bring positive impact to the MNLF communities,” he said, adding, “This has to be a convergence effort.”
Hataman suggested that MNLF leaders should create a steering committee among themselves to help them in the planning process and the identification of the projects.
“This is to empower the senior leaders of the MNLF. All of the projects will pass through the constituted MNLF senior leaders’ forum,” he said.
For his part, OPAPP Undersecretary Jose Lorena, who was invited to the event along with OPAPP Assistant Secretary Howard Cafugauan who introduced the general context of PAMANA, said that the senior leaders of the MNLF serves as the consultative body for the purposes of pursuing partnership both in the implementation of the programs and projects of PAMANA.
Cafugauan presented the details of the PAMANA program implementation to the body.
“We are really happy for this golden opportunity to be with you as this will strengthen not only the partnership of all our brothers, but the partnership of the MNLF, ARMM, and the national government through OPAPP,” he told the MNLF senior leaders during the forum.
“We are committed to bring further the relationship to bridge the gap, if there is any, between MNLF and with the other elements of the Bangsamoro people,” he said.
In response, Muslimin G. Sema, chair of the MNLF’s Central Committee, in a speech read by Abdul "Kong" Sahrin, secretary general of the MNLF central committee, said: “It is encouraging that the Philippine government is inclined in maintaining a mechanism of dialogue as we have agreed upon in the Bandung Meeting in 2012 as a means to preserve a partnership status pursuant to the Solo City understanding.”
“We are looking forward to whatever they bring forth for us in this occasion with the optimism that, whatever it is, it’s towards the full implementation of the 1996 Final Peace Agreement,” he added.
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=562033
The Joint Committee appears to involve only the Sema faction of the MNLF. Other MNLF factions under Nur Misuari and the Islamic Command Council were not mentioned as being involved in the Committee.
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