MinDa: Convergence of gov’t efforts crucial to sustain peace in Mindanao

MindanaoToday.com | MinDa: Convergence of gov’t efforts crucial to sustain peace in Mindanao

By: Jasper Marie O. Rucat

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY – Sec. Maria Belen S. Acosta, chairperson of the Mindanao Development Authority (MinDa), stated that coordinating all efforts from security to development can significantly contribute to maintaining peace in Mindanao; without coordination, these efforts could potentially be ineffective.

At the 1^st Mindanao Peace and Development Security Conference in Zamboanga City, Acosta said security and development are one and the same and should be on the same track with the same goal.

“Yung vision natin (our vision) for Mindanao is to be very progressive, very peaceful; in fact, we have made strides already, meron na tayong (we have) BARMM; meron na tayong [we have] Bangsamoro Transition Authority; we have insurgency-free barangays; now investors will see opportunities in Mindanao,” she said.

Acosta shared how culture and history shaped Mindanao, which is very special.

“Unique siya, tri-people tayo, Lumad, Christian, Muslim. Sa iba parang nakikita nila napaka-challenging naman ng Mindanao. Actually, yes, it is challenging but interesting at the same time. Imagine the culture that we are experiencing na nakikita natin na way of life of tri-people here in Mindanao,” she said.

(It is unique because we are tri-people: Lumad, Christian, and Muslim. For others, it seems that they see Mindanao as a very challenging area. Yes, it is challenging but interesting at the same time. Just imagine the culture that we are experiencing as we see the way of life of tri-people here in Mindanao.)

Meanwhile, it is also rich in natural resources, as it supplies around 40 percent of agricultural products to the entire Philippines and is the number two supplier of bananas and seaweeds to other countries with rich marine resources in the Zambasulta area.

Mindanao will never be able to fulfill its full potential if there is no peace and security.

Jonathan E. Malaya, assistant director general of the National Security Council, said, “In fact, economic development and security are intertwined.”

To maintain peace, all policies adopted in the past must be sustained, such as bringing development to insurgency-cleared barangays. “Lagi naman dilemma ng karamihan pag-alis ng military sa isang lugar na cleared na with NPA, nakalimutan na ‘yung lugar na ‘yun, mamaya-maya nandito naman ‘yung NPA precisely because hindi naman nagdala ng development sa mga lugar na ‘yun. So it’s a cycle,” he said.

(It’s always a dilemma for most people when the military leaves an area that has been cleared with the NPA; that area is forgotten, and later the NPA comes back precisely because it did not bring development to those areas. So it’s a cycle.)

Meanwhile, Sec. Antonio Lagdameo Jr., special assistant to the President, revealed that MinDa and the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation, and Unity (OPAPRU) are working together to deliver a socio economic program for the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) peace process.

The Bangsamoro comprehensive agreement, which consists of four components: security, confidence building, socio economic development, and transitional justice, governs this normalization program, he said.

“We are applying a transformation program to these former rebel groups to enhance their livelihoods; the more increase in their livelihood, ‘yung support sa kanila (support from the government), the less they will be potential targets for recruitment in the armed group,” he added.

In his message of support, MinDa Assistant Secretary Romeo Montenegro quoted Gov. Yevgeny Vincente Emano, who represents the second district of Misamis Oriental and chairs the House of Representatives Mindanao Affairs Committee, as saying that “Mindanao is like a poor man sitting in a mountain of gold.”

He explained that there is so much potential and wealth in Mindanao, but only if “we realize it,” and that peace is critical to achieving it. He enumerated some of the issues facing Mindanao, which include food security, energy, flooding, declining forest reserves, and access to water.

The 1st Mindanao Peace and Development Security Conference held at the Garden Orchid in Zamboanga City adopts a participatory approach with interactive discussions, facilitating knowledge-sharing, dialogue, and stakeholder consensus-building. Meanwhile, inputs will contribute to policy development and the Mindanao Development Agenda. (JMOR/PIA-10)

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