MILF: UNYPAD facilitates FAB Peace Symposium in ComVal Province

From the MILF Website (Mar 1): UNYPAD facilitates FAB Peace Symposium in ComVal Province

The United Youth for Peace and Development, Inc. (UNYPAD) in coordination with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front’s (MILF) Political Committee of Davao del Norte and the Municipal Local Government Unit (MLGU) of Mabini, Compostela Valley Province organized a whole-day advocacy on Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro (FAB) last Sunday, February 24 at Barangay Cadunan,Mabini, ComVal Province.
The hundred or more youth participants came from the Moro dominated areas in the six municipalities of Mabini, Laak, Maco, Pantukan, Mawab, and Mongkayo, of Compostela Vallley Province.

Datu Alamar Bungcas, community leader of Barangay Cadunan, said in vernacular in his opening and welcome address, “I’m thanking the UNYPAD leadership for initiating this program and appreciates their efforts in coordinating with all the key leaders in our community which made this event successful.”

He added that “the event is an opportunity for the community and the youth of ComVal Province to deeply understand the contents of the FAB.

In his message, the MILF Committee on Information Officer in Davao del Norte Province, who requested anonymity, said” the youth as an important stakeholder should be enlightened to have a better understanding on the FAB because they have a vital role to play for the realization of peace and development in the future Bangsamoro Region”.

UNYPAD Secretary General, Yusoph Lumambas, explained before the participants the importance of coordination and networking which will redound to unity, cooperation and participation of the community in every initiated peace program.

“There is a blessing that will be benefited by an individual but more blessings will be enjoyed if the program is well-organized because the whole group members work together,” Lumambas said.

He also clarified that FAB is a public document, hence any group can initiate to undertake similar program, however for the people to have a correct understanding it must be the right authorities to provide inputs in order to avoid exaggeration and misinterpretation of facts that may lead to the misconceptions about the soon-to-be concluded peace agreement between the Government of the Philippines (GPH) and the MILF.

Sammy Buat of the Consortium of Bangsamoro Civil Society (CBCS) was tasked to talk about the Bangsamoro History and the Framework Agreement on Bangsamoro. He used the vernacular ‘Kagan or Kalagan’ in presenting the topic for easy understanding by the community. Part of the program was an “Islamic Education” particularly on ‘aqueedah’ or ‘creed’ which was discussed by Sheik Alimuddin Mannan.

Background about UNYPAD was made by the UNYPAD National Vice President for Internal Affairs Tu Alfonso, an MDM batch 2012 graduate of the Asian Institute of Management through the assistance of In-Country Scholarship Program (ICSP) of the Philippines Australia Human Resource and Organizational Development Facility (PAHRODF).

Last December 20 2012 as part of the UNYPAD advocacy on FAB the ‘Kagan Tribe’ community and religious leaders were the participants in a program held at the Sunny Point Plaza, Davao City and was graced by no other than the International Monitoring Team (IMT) Team Site 5 Davao-based, Deputy Team Site Leader Lt. Col. Andy Irawan and Hadji Hussein Munoz, the Deputy Chief of Staff of the Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces (BIAF).

On February 10, another advocacy program on FAB was organized in Km.73, Tuburan Municipality of Mawab, ComVal Province in cooperation with the MLGU and BLGU of Mawab in coordination with the MILF political committee, the Philippine National Police-Mawab Police Station and the IMT Team Site 5, headed by IMT Team Leader Col. Khairully.

UNYPAD Compostela Valley Provincial Chapter President, Jahar Sequina and Gabriel Palma, UNYPAD Coordinator for Greater Davao areas led in organizing the said activity.

http://www.luwaran.com/home/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=3126:unypad-facilitates-fab-peace-symposium-in-comval-province&catid=31:general&Itemid=41