From the Philippine News Agency (Sep 17, 2020): PAMANA projects to transform MILF camp to peace, dev’t zone (September 17, 2020)
PAMANA. Presidential Adviser Carlito Galvez Jr. (2nd from right) leads the memorandum agreement signing for the implementation of the government’s PAyapa at MAsaganang PamayaNAn (PAMANA) on Iligan City on Wednesday (Sept. 16,2020). The Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP) and the provincial and municipal governments of Lanao del Sur and Lanao del Norte signed the MOA to PAMANA projects worth PHP85 million. (OPAPP photo)
About 52 kilometers or a one hour and thirty minute drive from this bustling northern Mindanao city is the town of Munai, Lanao del Norte, where the Moro Islamic Liberation Front’s (MILF) Camp Bilal proudly stands.
The camp was considered as one of the major strongholds of the MILF, which became the site of fierce gun battles during the all-out-war in 2000 between the revolutionary organization and government forces.
For several months, the deafening sound of mortar fire and air strikes reverberated across the hinterland municipality, as residents fled their homes and sought refuge in evacuation centers scattered across the province.
From battleground to show window of peace
But after the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CAB) between the government and the MILF, the camp has started to undergo an amazing transformation and has ushered a new chapter in the people’s history.
The peace deal paved the way for the entry of development interventions in the area. Among them is the government’s PAyapa at MAsaganang PamayaNAn (PAMANA), which carries out community-driven projects in remote, conflict-ridden areas across the country.
On Wednesday, the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP) and the provincial and municipal governments of Lanao del Sur and Lanao del Norte signed Memorandums of Agreement to implement PAMANA projects worth PHP85 million.
The signing was held at the 2nd Mechanized Infantry Brigade.
The PAMANA projects aim to support the Normalization Program under the CAB, and are part of the government’s commitment to help spur economic activity in Camp Bilal and its neighboring areas.
“Matagal na po namin itong hinihintay. Ang gusto ng Presidente natin ay kapayapaan, ibalik ang kapayapaan dito sa Mindanao, at ‘yan din ang isinusulong namin, kapayapaan (We have been waiting for this for a long time. The President wants peace, bring back peace in Mindanao, and that’s what we’re doing, peace),” said Member of Parliament Abdullah “Commander Bravo” Macapaar. “Nagpapasalamat ako kay Allah dahil nandito na ngayon ang signing na mag-implement ng mga development projects dito sa Lanao del Sur at Lanao del Norte (I thanked Allah because of the signing to implement the developments here in Lanao del Sur and Lanao del Norte).”
Camps Transformation is a major component of the Annex on Normalization under the CAB, the historic peace agreement forged between the Government of the Philippines and the MILF in 2014.
PAMANA in the Bangsamoro
The PAMANA Program is among the national government’s key interventions that are designed to implement community-driven development projects in remote, conflict-stricken areas throughout the country.
“Simula noong 2011, patuloy ang PAMANA sa pagpapatupad ng mga proyekto sa mga isolated, hard to reach, conflict affected and conflict vulnerable communities sa Mindanao. Kabilang po rito ang ilang lugar na nasa ilalim ng pamamahala ng Moro Islamic Liberation Front (Since 2011, PAMANA continues to implement projects in the isolated, hard to reach, conflict affected and conflict vulnerable communities in Mindanao. This includes areas under MILF leadership),” said GPH Peace Implementing Panel Chair, OPAPP Undersecretary David Diciano during remarks at the MOA signing.
Diciano said through the PAMANA projects, agricultural production in the area is projected to rise, and consequently, boost socio-economic activity in Camp Bilal and other nearby communities.
Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) Interim Chief Minister and MILF Chairman Ahod Balawag Ebrahim, assured the Bangsamoro people that the BARMM government’s initiatives will focus on bringing sustainable peace and development in the region.
“Although very challenging ang nangyari sa atin dito sa BARMM, rest assured na for the remaining days and times na naiwan sa atin, we will do our best para matulungan ang Bangsamoro sa BARMM pati na rin ang outside sa BARMM (Although what happened here in BARMM are very challenging, rest assured that for the remaining days and times, we will do our best to help Bangsamoro even those outside BARMM),” said Ebrahim, who attended the event via video teleconference.
Presidential Peace Adviser and National Policy Against Covid-19 chief implementer Carlito Galvez Jr. said implementing projects for the Bangsamoro Region remains a priority of the national government despite the challenges caused by the pandemic.
“Ang [sinabi] ng mahal nating Presidente, kahit may Covid tayo kailangan tuloy tuloy pa rin ang PAMANA natin. Mahal na mahal niya ang Bangsamoro at hindi hinding niya kayo pababayaan (Our beloved President said, even we have Covid-19, we need to continue the PAMANA. He loves Bangsamoro and he will not forsake you),” Galvez said.
Galvez said OPAPP will stay and will continue to assist the BARMM.
Under the MOA, the PAMANA National Project Management Department, in partnership with provincial governments of Lanao del Norte and Lanao del Sur, and the municipal governments of Munai, Picong, and Tangcal, will implement projects to raise agricultural productivity in the area such as the provision of farm equipment to MILF beneficiaries, concreting of farm-to-market roads, and the construction of a barangay road.
The PAMANA NPMD is also set to forge partnerships for the implementation of five projects in Lanao del Sur, which include the distribution of farm equipment and construction of a water system.
From former war-zone to future ‘eco-zone’
Macapaar said the turning point for him and his men came after the signing of the CAB. It was then when they realized that armed struggle was no longer the path they wanted to pursue.
“Bakit po ako sumama [sa gobyerno]? Alam po natin na ako po ay doon lumaki sa bundok kaya lang hindi po ako masamang tao. Dahil po sa utos ng Chief Minister, the Chairman of the MILF, lalong lalo na sa aking kaibigan former Chief of Staff ng Armed Forces si Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr (Why I joined government? A grew up in the mountain but I am not bad person. Upon the order of Chief Minister, the chairman of the MILF, especially my friend, former Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces, Secretary Carilito Galvez Jr.),’ Macapaar said.
“Ako ay sumama dahil ang gusto ng Presidente natin ay kapayapaan. Ibalik ang kapayapaan dito sa Mindanao dahil ‘yan din ang isinusulong namin - kapayapaan, bilang kami ay mga Muslims na sumusunod sa aming Panginoon na Allah (I joined the government because the President wants peace. Let’s bring back peace here in Mindanao because it is also our goal – peace, as Muslims following our Lord Allah),” Macapaar added.
Local government units have also played a crucial role in sustaining the gains of peace in by facilitating the implementation of much-needed socio-economic and infrastructure projects in the area.
“Alam po natin na ang Munai ay isa po sa conflict-affected ng Mindanao. Sa pamamagitan ng proyektong ito, naibibigay ninyo sa amin. Ito po ‘yung magiging daan para maibsan ang paghihirap ng mga tao at matulungan po natin sila para umunlad ang buhay ng ating mga mamamayan sa Munai (We all know that Munai is a conflict-affected in Mindanao. Through this project, it will be given to us. It will help to lessen the hardship of the people and help them improve the lives of the people in Munai),” said Munai Mayor Racma Andamama.
Tangcal Councilor Abdani Buanding, who represented Mayor Fatima Tomawis, said that their municipality will significantly benefit from the PAMANA projects once they are completed.
“Alam po natin ang aming bayan ay years ago dumaan po ng armed conflict so masyadong kumbaga, kasama kami sa medyo maliit na bayan so kailangan po namin ang ganitong mga projects sa amin (Our town experienced armed conflict, it’s a small town. So we need this kind of projects),” Buanding said.
Meanwhile, Lanao del Norte Board Member Achmad Taha, who represented Governor Imelda Angging Quibranza Dimaporo, thanked the government for the projects, noting these are a testament of the President’s desire to help the Bangsamoro people.
“President Duterte continues to give importance to peace-promoting projects and staying true to his promise to the Filipino people,” Taha said. “Through the PAMANA program, the LGUs are empowered by leading the implementation of the projects in their localities, while giving residents opportunities to contribute in community development, engage actively in governance processes, and resolve misunderstandings through peaceful means.”
Also in attendance during the MOA signing were PAMANA National Director Cesar De Mesa; Joint Normalization Committee (JNC) Co Chair Ariel Hernandez; OPAPP Assistant Secretaries Andres S. Aguinaldo, Jr. and Atty. Wilben M. Mayor; OPAPP Directors Farrah Naparan and Darwin Wally Wee; LDS Board member Abdulhamid Umpa Amerbito; Major General Generoso Ponio, commander, 1st Infantry Division; Brigadier General Facundo Palafox, commander, 2nd Mechanized Brigade; and Colonel Jose Maria Querpo, brigade commander, 103rd Infantry Brigade.
https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1115802
The camp was considered as one of the major strongholds of the MILF, which became the site of fierce gun battles during the all-out-war in 2000 between the revolutionary organization and government forces.
For several months, the deafening sound of mortar fire and air strikes reverberated across the hinterland municipality, as residents fled their homes and sought refuge in evacuation centers scattered across the province.
From battleground to show window of peace
But after the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CAB) between the government and the MILF, the camp has started to undergo an amazing transformation and has ushered a new chapter in the people’s history.
The peace deal paved the way for the entry of development interventions in the area. Among them is the government’s PAyapa at MAsaganang PamayaNAn (PAMANA), which carries out community-driven projects in remote, conflict-ridden areas across the country.
On Wednesday, the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP) and the provincial and municipal governments of Lanao del Sur and Lanao del Norte signed Memorandums of Agreement to implement PAMANA projects worth PHP85 million.
The signing was held at the 2nd Mechanized Infantry Brigade.
The PAMANA projects aim to support the Normalization Program under the CAB, and are part of the government’s commitment to help spur economic activity in Camp Bilal and its neighboring areas.
“Matagal na po namin itong hinihintay. Ang gusto ng Presidente natin ay kapayapaan, ibalik ang kapayapaan dito sa Mindanao, at ‘yan din ang isinusulong namin, kapayapaan (We have been waiting for this for a long time. The President wants peace, bring back peace in Mindanao, and that’s what we’re doing, peace),” said Member of Parliament Abdullah “Commander Bravo” Macapaar. “Nagpapasalamat ako kay Allah dahil nandito na ngayon ang signing na mag-implement ng mga development projects dito sa Lanao del Sur at Lanao del Norte (I thanked Allah because of the signing to implement the developments here in Lanao del Sur and Lanao del Norte).”
Camps Transformation is a major component of the Annex on Normalization under the CAB, the historic peace agreement forged between the Government of the Philippines and the MILF in 2014.
PAMANA in the Bangsamoro
The PAMANA Program is among the national government’s key interventions that are designed to implement community-driven development projects in remote, conflict-stricken areas throughout the country.
“Simula noong 2011, patuloy ang PAMANA sa pagpapatupad ng mga proyekto sa mga isolated, hard to reach, conflict affected and conflict vulnerable communities sa Mindanao. Kabilang po rito ang ilang lugar na nasa ilalim ng pamamahala ng Moro Islamic Liberation Front (Since 2011, PAMANA continues to implement projects in the isolated, hard to reach, conflict affected and conflict vulnerable communities in Mindanao. This includes areas under MILF leadership),” said GPH Peace Implementing Panel Chair, OPAPP Undersecretary David Diciano during remarks at the MOA signing.
Diciano said through the PAMANA projects, agricultural production in the area is projected to rise, and consequently, boost socio-economic activity in Camp Bilal and other nearby communities.
Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) Interim Chief Minister and MILF Chairman Ahod Balawag Ebrahim, assured the Bangsamoro people that the BARMM government’s initiatives will focus on bringing sustainable peace and development in the region.
“Although very challenging ang nangyari sa atin dito sa BARMM, rest assured na for the remaining days and times na naiwan sa atin, we will do our best para matulungan ang Bangsamoro sa BARMM pati na rin ang outside sa BARMM (Although what happened here in BARMM are very challenging, rest assured that for the remaining days and times, we will do our best to help Bangsamoro even those outside BARMM),” said Ebrahim, who attended the event via video teleconference.
Presidential Peace Adviser and National Policy Against Covid-19 chief implementer Carlito Galvez Jr. said implementing projects for the Bangsamoro Region remains a priority of the national government despite the challenges caused by the pandemic.
“Ang [sinabi] ng mahal nating Presidente, kahit may Covid tayo kailangan tuloy tuloy pa rin ang PAMANA natin. Mahal na mahal niya ang Bangsamoro at hindi hinding niya kayo pababayaan (Our beloved President said, even we have Covid-19, we need to continue the PAMANA. He loves Bangsamoro and he will not forsake you),” Galvez said.
Galvez said OPAPP will stay and will continue to assist the BARMM.
Under the MOA, the PAMANA National Project Management Department, in partnership with provincial governments of Lanao del Norte and Lanao del Sur, and the municipal governments of Munai, Picong, and Tangcal, will implement projects to raise agricultural productivity in the area such as the provision of farm equipment to MILF beneficiaries, concreting of farm-to-market roads, and the construction of a barangay road.
The PAMANA NPMD is also set to forge partnerships for the implementation of five projects in Lanao del Sur, which include the distribution of farm equipment and construction of a water system.
From former war-zone to future ‘eco-zone’
Macapaar said the turning point for him and his men came after the signing of the CAB. It was then when they realized that armed struggle was no longer the path they wanted to pursue.
“Bakit po ako sumama [sa gobyerno]? Alam po natin na ako po ay doon lumaki sa bundok kaya lang hindi po ako masamang tao. Dahil po sa utos ng Chief Minister, the Chairman of the MILF, lalong lalo na sa aking kaibigan former Chief of Staff ng Armed Forces si Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr (Why I joined government? A grew up in the mountain but I am not bad person. Upon the order of Chief Minister, the chairman of the MILF, especially my friend, former Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces, Secretary Carilito Galvez Jr.),’ Macapaar said.
“Ako ay sumama dahil ang gusto ng Presidente natin ay kapayapaan. Ibalik ang kapayapaan dito sa Mindanao dahil ‘yan din ang isinusulong namin - kapayapaan, bilang kami ay mga Muslims na sumusunod sa aming Panginoon na Allah (I joined the government because the President wants peace. Let’s bring back peace here in Mindanao because it is also our goal – peace, as Muslims following our Lord Allah),” Macapaar added.
Local government units have also played a crucial role in sustaining the gains of peace in by facilitating the implementation of much-needed socio-economic and infrastructure projects in the area.
“Alam po natin na ang Munai ay isa po sa conflict-affected ng Mindanao. Sa pamamagitan ng proyektong ito, naibibigay ninyo sa amin. Ito po ‘yung magiging daan para maibsan ang paghihirap ng mga tao at matulungan po natin sila para umunlad ang buhay ng ating mga mamamayan sa Munai (We all know that Munai is a conflict-affected in Mindanao. Through this project, it will be given to us. It will help to lessen the hardship of the people and help them improve the lives of the people in Munai),” said Munai Mayor Racma Andamama.
Tangcal Councilor Abdani Buanding, who represented Mayor Fatima Tomawis, said that their municipality will significantly benefit from the PAMANA projects once they are completed.
“Alam po natin ang aming bayan ay years ago dumaan po ng armed conflict so masyadong kumbaga, kasama kami sa medyo maliit na bayan so kailangan po namin ang ganitong mga projects sa amin (Our town experienced armed conflict, it’s a small town. So we need this kind of projects),” Buanding said.
Meanwhile, Lanao del Norte Board Member Achmad Taha, who represented Governor Imelda Angging Quibranza Dimaporo, thanked the government for the projects, noting these are a testament of the President’s desire to help the Bangsamoro people.
“President Duterte continues to give importance to peace-promoting projects and staying true to his promise to the Filipino people,” Taha said. “Through the PAMANA program, the LGUs are empowered by leading the implementation of the projects in their localities, while giving residents opportunities to contribute in community development, engage actively in governance processes, and resolve misunderstandings through peaceful means.”
Also in attendance during the MOA signing were PAMANA National Director Cesar De Mesa; Joint Normalization Committee (JNC) Co Chair Ariel Hernandez; OPAPP Assistant Secretaries Andres S. Aguinaldo, Jr. and Atty. Wilben M. Mayor; OPAPP Directors Farrah Naparan and Darwin Wally Wee; LDS Board member Abdulhamid Umpa Amerbito; Major General Generoso Ponio, commander, 1st Infantry Division; Brigadier General Facundo Palafox, commander, 2nd Mechanized Brigade; and Colonel Jose Maria Querpo, brigade commander, 103rd Infantry Brigade.
https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1115802
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