An inter-agency assessment on the implementation in Camarines Norte of rural development projects funded under the Payapa at Masagamang Pamayanan (PAMANA) program has found them satisfactory, recent reports said.
The assessment which tracked down success stories from project sites involving thousands of rural folk in four impoverished municipalities of the province was recently conducted through a series of joint visitations by personnel from the Office of Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP) and the Departments of Interior and Local Government (DILG), Agriculture (DA) and Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).
The municipalities -- Labo, Mercedes, Capalonga and Jose Panganiban -- were among the Bicol areas given preferential attention by the PAMANA program based on a criterion that highly influences “unpeace,” having a considerable number of barangays infested by communist insurgency being along the Bicol-Quezon-Mindoro Corridor.
PAMANA is a priority government program being undertaken by the OPAPP towards the attainment of economic progress in conflict affected areas (CAAs) in line with the Aquino administration’s peace agenda geared at ending internal armed conflicts.
In 2011, five PAMANA projects in Camarines Norte were provided with a total of Php140 million from the stimulus fund of President Benigno Aquino III and channeled through the OPAPP under the program.
All projects -- concreting of Malibago-Maligaya worth Php40 million; concreting of Bakiad-Sta. Cruz-Fundado worth Php10 million; concreting and graveling of Exciban farm-to-market road worth Php50 million, all in Labo; concreting of Pambuhan to Lanot Road of Mercedes worth Php20 million; and the concreting of the Sta. Rosa Sur-San Rafael in Jose Panganiban worth Php20 million -- were completed in the following year.
Implementation of these projects was assigned to the Camarines Norte Provincial Engineering Office and supervised by the Provincial Management Team chaired by Gov. Edgardo Tallado.
In 2012, additional projects worth Php20 million funded by the DILG were also implemented in the in the towns of Labo, Jose Panganiban and Capalonga while in 2013, an amount of Php106 million was also provided from the funds of DILG and DA for projects implemented in the same areas.
This year, the DILG provided additional allocations for PAMANA projects worth Php81 million, covering five municipalities of the province -- Basud, Capalonga, Labo, Mercedes and Sta. Elena.
DILG Regional Director Elouisa Pastor clarified that among the six Bicol provinces, only Camarines Norte has the allocation from her agency for the PAMANA projects.
The assessment activity, Paul Escober, the OPPAP Area Manager for Bicol, on Friday said, was aimed at strengthening collaboration with partner agencies as embodied in the PAMANA convergence framework.
Almost all the projects were visited by the inter-agency team and the assessment found them satisfactorily implemented and serving the communities very well towards PAMANA’s aim of attaining economic progress for the areas covered, Escober said.
The projects communicate effectively among communities the initiatives of government in building the culture of peace and development in the countryside to make them resilient against the anti-government whims of the insurgency being carried out by the communist New People’s Army (NPA), he said.
To build resilient communities in these areas, PAMANA, Escober said, focuses on empowering households and communities to include delivery of basic services at the community level through community-driven reconstruction, development and livelihood interventions.
PAMANA underscores that building resilient communities is one of the two tracks of the Aquino administration in pursuit of a just and lasting peace, the first being the negotiated political settlement of all armed conflicts through formal peace talks.
He said the projects were observed to be responding well to peace-building, reconstruction and development in conflict-affected areas (CAAs) in line with the government’s goal of putting a permanent and just closure to internal armed conflicts.
One of its track to peace, Alcober said, is closing the gap between what happens on the negotiating table and the realities on the ground as it also serves as a guide for national and local government agencies, international donors and non-government organizations in providing various interventions to address conditions that create un-peace.
In between project visitations, the OPAPP Communications Unit headed by Polly Michelle Cunanan also conducted communication workshop to intensify efforts in showcasing how PAMANA has improved people’s lives and communities.
The workshop has increased public awareness, appreciation and understanding of the program as the government framework for peace and development in CAAs, Escober added.
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=680853
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