GRP-MILF PEACE TALKS IN JANUARY 2011?

December 22, 2010 p-ress release by the Office of the Presidential Advisor on the Peace Process

Manila – The government is eyeing to hold exploratory talks with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) in January next year.

Chief negotiator Marvic Leonen yesterday said that the government panel has been ready and awaiting confirmation from MILF panel chair Mohagher Iqbal to welcome their invitation sent through the third party facilitator Malaysia.

“The earliest, we hope, will be in January next year. We are open to holding the sessions anywhere, but it could be in Kuala Lumpur,” he stated during a dinner fellowship with some media representatives in Pasig City.

However, Leonen hopes that facilitation issues will be resolved soon to pave the way for the conduct of informal sessions and resumption of formal peace talks.

“It is very clear that the Philippine government wanted the best chance for a full settlement to gain acceptance from the public. So we have to settle the facilitation issues,” he said.

Leonen stressed that the government is “eager to start the talks and accomplish political negotiated settlement within the soonest possible time.”

“The President (Benigno Aquino III) wants to implement it within the six-year period. Working backwards, that means it could be possible to have an acceptance of a politically negotiated settlement by the middle of the term,” he stated.

“This means that before it happens, the settlement should be clear already to both parties,” Leonen added.

opapp.gov.ph

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 At this point, I am inviting you to please share your individual comments in my blog so that we could possibly air our concerns-Misuari Ago Abdullah, AE

PAMANA Programme-Mindanaoan It's Our Time to Participate

I got this publication from the Official Gazzete of the Office of The Philippine President and I would like to share this to everybody with an end in mind that Mindanao people needs to provide inputs and recommendations because IT'S TIME FOR US TO PARTICIPATE.

December 23, 2010 press release by the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process

Manila – Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Teresita Quintos-Deles on Tuesday said that the government plans to complete in three years the implementation of its flagship program that seeks to empower internally displaced persons (IDPs) and other families living in conflict-affected areas in Mindanao.

The PAMANA (Payapa at Masaganang Pamayanan) program, which will start implementation soon, aims to promote community resilience to conflict by reducing poverty and vulnerability in conflict areas; improving governance; and strengthening capacities of communities to address issues of conflict and peace through activities that promote social cohesion.

Deles added that the program was supposed to start this quarter.

“But the President (Benigno Aquino III) wanted a full roadmap for PAMANA. He doesn’t want it to begin without a clear-cut conclusion,” she told media representatives during a dinner fellowship in Pasig City.

“PAMANA is to be completed within three years. By that time, 5,000 barangays have already been reached by its services,” she stated.

The peace adviser also said that the program intends to help IDPs return to their homes.

“Towards the end of next year, we hope to bring the families from the remaining evacuation sites back to their homes. The number of IDPs now is 3,000 – that’s agreed upon by the ARMM (Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao) – DSWD (Department of Social Welfare and Development). That’s the common number that we’re using,” she said.

She likewise said that PAMANA is a convergent program wherein all government agencies, including civil society groups, will be pooling their efforts.

Deles added that the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP) will collaborate with concerned agencies, such as DSWD, Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), the Bangsamoro Development Agency and the ARMM Regional Government to ensure that conflict communities benefit from improved basic services delivery and are served by responsive and accountable governments.

Peacebuilding Projects Turned-over to Local Government Units

December 20, 2010

Marking the culmination of the GoP-UN ACT for Peace Programme to the Peace and Development Communities of Cotabato City is manifested by the turn over of the PDC Map and Knowledge Products. In the photo are Bailyn Guimab (left), Vice Mayor Muslimin Sema (2nd from left), Engr. Cynthia Guerra (third from left), Engr Misuari "Jake" Abdullah (secon from right), and Sangguniang Panglungsod Representative) During the ceremonial turn-over those provided peacebuilding interventions in the 6 PDCs was also discussed such as:

PDC	BHS	BNB	CED	WASH	CBs
Tamontaka 2			· Rice Trading, · Motor bike IGP
Tamontaka 3			· Rice Trading
Tamontaka 4			· Rice Trading · Shrimps Trapping · Community Fund
Tamontaka 5			· Food processing
Poblacion 8	Medical Equipment		· Farm Machineries · Rice Trading,
Poblacion 9	a		· Nipa Vinegar production · Nipa Vinegar Processing Facility · Farm Machineries · Rice Trading

 CB Support provided to PDCs are Culture of Peace, Katarungang Pambarangay, Conflict Management, PRA-BDP, Annual Investment Planning, Health and Nutrition, Project Proposal Making, Peace and Conflict Impact Assessment, Rights-based Approach to Development, Gender and Development, etc.

Similar ceremonial project turn over was also conducted to provinces of Sarangani, Davao Del Sur, South Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, and North Cotabato as way of saying goodbye by the ACT for Peace Programme-South Central Management Area Management Office to the partner LGU as the programme will end by December 31, 2010.

Mindanawan CocoSugar Corporation: MNLF Combatants now Entrepreneurs

The Mindanawan Coco Sugar Corporation (MCS) and its product, coco sugar branded as “Sweet Peace”, were launched on July 21, 2010 at Brgy. Palian, Tupi, South Cotabato. The officers and members of the corporation were combatants of the Moro National Liberation Front turned to be an entrepreneur. On the date of launching, almost half a ton of coco sugar were produced. Based from the projection of Engr. Misuari "Jake" Abdullah who provided technical assistance to the coco-sugar project representing the ACT for Peace Programme, the plant have the capacity of 10 tons/month coco-sugar production.

 

The MCS was the business sustainability group of the South Central Mindanao Mindanao Provincial Peace and Development Advocates League Coalition, Inc. (PPDALCI). It was comprised of 7 Peace and Development Advocates League (PDAL) like South Cotabato PDAL, Cotabato PDAL, Katiakap (GenSan PDAL), PDAL Davao Del Sur, Sultan Kudarat PDAL, and Sultan Kudarat Coastal PDA Alliance. All PDAL presidents are Maguindanaon MNLF Combatant turned entrepreneurs.

The Coco-sugar project was a support from GoP-UN ACT for Peace Programme fund who allocated Php4,912,000.00 for the Project.

DTI-South Cotabato lead the Project Advisory Group (PAG) whose member agencies are DOLE 12, TESDA 12, DTI Sarangani, DOST 12, PCA 12, South Cotabato Chamber of Commerce, and Kapayapaan Kapatid Council (KKC).

PCA 12 launched their KAANIB project on October 9, 2010 in Tupi, South Cotabato with Assistant Secretary for Field Operations  Edilberto de Luna as the representative of DA Secretary Proceso J. Alcala. One of the banner programs of the Department, KAANIB aims to adopt income-generating interventions to reduce poverty, ensure the availability of food and increase farmers’ incomes to ascertain sustainable livelihood for farming communities.  Among the strategies to be employed are: 1) develop the Community-Based Organization’s (CBO) capacity as village-level entrepreneurs and not mere suppliers of raw materials; 2) transfer village-level processing technologies to the communities that will empower resource-poor farmers and the disadvantage women in the coconut-growing communities; and 3) provide technical support and marketing assistance to those implementing the income-generating interventions which include the following: a)Establishment of community-managed nurseries and planting of coconut seedlings; Intercropping with high-value crops and cash crops; Livestock integration as additional income source; and Production and marketing of village-level high-value products and by-products.

 

Recently DTI XII-SC RuMEPP implemented the Enhanced-Coco-Sugar Industry Development (e-Coco SID) Project of Php890,000.00 with Additional Php450,000.00 as Business Development Support to the MSC coco-sugar project.

500kg of coco-sugar project was shipped by the MSC with the facilitation of KKC and the PCA-12.

This project is an indication that peace, harmony, and development in Mindanao can be achieved though equitable participation. MSC are all Maguindanaon Muslims, workers are Christians, many coco-sugar workers in the PDCs are Lumad, KKC head Father Joy Pelino is a Catholic Priest that actively supporting MSC, and NGAs heads are Christians.

Should you wish to support this peace initiative, please buy or invite others to visit coco-sugar plant site in Palian, Tupi, south Cotabato, and enjoy the sweet peace of coco-sugar.

ACT for Peace Programme SCM Staff-The Finalist

The GoP-UN ACT for Peace Programme will be ending by December 31, 2010. The picture herewith was the ending presentation during the SCM Culminating activity with its stakeholders in Isla Parella, Alabel, Sarangani Province. (photo from Engr. Misuari "Jake" Abdullah archive).

Kanduli

December 3, 2010

Marking the culmination of the GoP-UN ACT for Peace Programme, a day with the stakeholders with a "Kanduli-celebrating Peace gains" was participated in by major partners stakeholder. Peace champions of Mindanao as perceived by the programme were recognized and awarded. This photo is a pose of Engr. Cynthia c. Guerra (left), Col. Edgardo De Leon, Most Significant Change Awardee (center) and Engr. Misuari "JAKE" Abdullah (right).