The Office of the Presidential Adviser for the Peace Process
(OPAPP) has allocated Php200 million for the Payapa at Masaganang Pamayanan
(PAMANA) or Resilient and Peaceful Community Program of the Department of
Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).
A component of the Peace Process-Closure Agreement between
the government and the former armed groups who returned to the fold of the law,
the PAMANA Program is the national government’s peace and development framework
for empowering conflict-related areas in the country; closing the gaps in
development and bringing progress to areas needing the most.
Under the DENR-OPAPP Joint Memorandum Circular No. 2013-02,
both agencies agreed to provide livelihood support to former combatants by
creating viable partnerships through the implementation of the National
Greening Program (NGP) and forestry-related activities.
Under the program, a total of 715 forest guards will be
hired, which are distributed as follows: Region VI, 100; Region VII, 18; Region
X, 10; and, Cordillera Autonomous Region, 587 forest guards.
The funding support also include land acquisition for peace
and development community sites, site development such as the provision of
water system, access road network and market facilities, among others.
There are four identified sites in the region as Peace and
Development Community Sites.
These are located in Brgys. Cabugao, San
Jose and Rivera in the Municipality
of Ibajay in the Province of Aklan
The resettlement sites in Ibajay, Aklan and Kabankalan City
are within the timberland areas, while the sites in Cadiz City and San Carlos
City are within the North Negros Natural Park (NNNP).
The DENR facilitates the hiring and employment of forest
guards, and enrolled them in the NGP by allocating planting sites as part of
the major commitment of the DENR for the Peace Process, for the past three
years now.
Both the DENR and OPAPP have agreed to provide livelihood
support to former combatants by creating viable partnerships through the
implementation of NGP and other forestry-related activities.
The undertaking is aimed to provide them an opportunity to
lead and live a normal life above ground and to prove to everyone that among
the cause of this group is to protect the forestlands and providing a concrete
program of reconciliation, peace and development for nation building.
DENR Secretary Ramon J.P. Paje crafted the idea of involving
this group in the protection activities of forests, in support of the
initiative of President Benigno S. Aquino III on peace and development.
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=744222
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.