Peace 911 initiative to expand in all Davao City villages

From the Philippine News Agency (May 8, 2023): Peace 911 initiative to expand in all Davao City villages (By Che Palicte)

EXPANSION. Jonah Presto, Peace 911 focal person, bares Monday (May 8, 2023) that the Davao City peace-building and development initiative will be expanded to cover all villages. Peace 911 was established on May 10, 2018 to counter communist rebel forces in far-flung areas through strengthened community relations. (Photo courtesy of Davao-CIO)

DAVAO CITY – The Davao Peace 911 initiative will be expanded across the city to further safeguard the peace and security of far-flung villages.

PEACE 911 is a comprehensive peace-building and development initiative of the city government under then-mayor Sara Duterte.

Its pilot area is the Paquibato district, a hotbed for communist guerrillas.

“Soon enough, since the ordinance has been passed, we will operate citywide. So it’s not just the Paquibato area. We will operate throughout the city, especially in areas that are prone to conflict like Marilog, Calinan, and Toril districts,” lawyer Jonah Presto, Peace 911 focal person, said in an interview Monday.

The Peace 911 initiative was established on May 10, 2018, to counter communist rebel forces by strengthening community relations and delivering government services in the area.

It has since expanded to cover Marilog District and four other villages in Calinan to prevent insurgency groups from exploiting social issues to advance their interests.

Peace 911 acts as a coordinating agency to address problems and unrest in far-flung communities that have been deprived of government services and interventions.

To ensure the efficient deployment of interventions, Presto said Peace 911 will also be expanding its pool of employees and peace builders.

Each village will have at least two Peace 911 coordinators to monitor the security situation and social welfare.

Also on Monday, the city government honored 51 Peace 911 partner agencies from the national and local government offices and the private sector in celebration of the fifth anniversary of the peacebuilding program.

The public and private partners were cited for their contributions which ultimately paved the way for the declaration of Davao City as insurgency-free.

Peace 911 employees and peace builders were likewise recognized for their efforts.

Task Force Davao commander Lt. Darren Comia said the Peace 911 initiative has effectively eliminated insurgency threats while fostering deeper trust among government security forces and communities in upland areas.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1200977