MANILA, May 18 – Secretary Teresita Quintos-Deles of the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP) has called on leaders and representatives of non-profit and charitable organizations to engage in efforts that would advance the peace process in the country.
During the 39th Annual General Assembly of the Association of Foundations (AF) held recently at the Asian Institute of Management in Makati, Deles urged them to help spur hope among the people, particularly when there are challenges surrounding the peace process.
“Don’t just put projects and feeding programs, but imagine with us to help communities understand peace, especially in times of disappointment and cynicism,” she said, likewise stressing the need to help poor communities become resilient to conflict.
Deles provided updates on the Aquino administration’s ongoing peace negotiations with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army-National Democratic Front of the Philippines (CPP-NPA-NDFP).
She also cited possible areas in the peace process in which civil society can contribute. Among these include peacemaking through faithful advocacy, promotion and information dissemination, and providing technical support and advice.
Further, the peace adviser underlined President Benigno Aquino III’s policy thrust of exercising transparency and inclusiveness in the peace talks “with the aim to restore full confidence and trust in the process.”
OPAPP Undersecretary Luisito Montalbo, who also attended the event, briefed the participants on the Payapa at Masaganang Pamayanan (Peaceful and Resilient Communities) or PAMANA program, the government’s flagship peace and development program.
Concerns from civil society
During the open forum, one participant from a Mindanao-based foundation said that some civil society groups are reluctant to participate in government peace efforts for “fear of being tagged as part of the government’s anti-insurgency efforts.”
“Programs like PAMANA are perceived as counter-insurgency actions,” he stated.
On this, Deles said that it is but common to “be called bad names not only by people we talk to across the table, but by other people who do not agree that we should be helping these people.”
“But for government, it’s clear. We have responsibilities to the people. We do PAMANA because we are a responsible government,” she added. “Do we let them define us or we define what we should do and find the means to do it?”
Another participant from a foundation focusing on health care asked how is OPAPP responding to the situation of political prisoners who have been suffering from cancer, tuberculosis and other serious illnesses.
Deles replied that OPAPP is not an implementing agency. However, there are other government agencies involved in the peace process that are dealing with such concerns. “DOJ (Department of Justice) Sec. Leila de Lima, who valiantly headed the Commission on Human Rights, has these items on her table,” she said, adding that reports like this should contain specific details for OPAPP to work on.
On the issue of education in conflict areas, one participant lamented that education is a priority of the administration, but when Muslim and Lumad communities ask for financial assistance to improve education in their areas, the government would always have no funding for it.
Deles answered that the budget they are on this year was proposed by the previous administration that had a different agenda.
The participants thanked the peace adviser for providing a comprehensive report on the peace process and clarifying certain issues.
They likewise lauded the efforts of the government to strengthen women participation in the peace process with the presence of women peace negotiators – Miriam Coronel-Ferrer for talks with the MILF, and Jurgette Honculada and Lourdes Tizon for talks with the CPP-NPA-NDFP.
The AF is a network of non-government organizations formed in 1972. Among its notable members are SM Foundation, ABS-CBN Foundation, Aboitiz Group Foundation, Childhope Asia Philippines, E. Zobel Foundation, Habitat for Humanity Philippines Foundation, and many others. #
Showing posts with label npa. Show all posts
Showing posts with label npa. Show all posts
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Friday, April 29, 2011
Gov’t assures Cordilleran IPs to bring in their issues in CASER draft with NDF
Gov’t assures Cordilleran IPs to bring in their issues in CASER draft with NDF
Lacub, Abra, Apr. 30
– Peace panel member Ednar Dayanghirang on Wednesday assured the indigenous peoples (IP) of the Cordillera that the government will take account of the issues and recommendations they have aired in drafting the Comprehensive Agreement on the Socio-economic Reforms (CASER) with the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army-National Democratic Front of the Philippines (CPP-NPA-NDFP).
In a joint peace consultation with NDFP panel member Rafael Baylosis during the 27thCordillera Day held in Barangay Buneg here, Dayanghirang urged the IP representatives of Abra, Apayao, Kalinga, Benguet, Ifugao and Mountain Province to continue articulating their concrete proposals to the Government of the Philippines (GPH).
Also present were Fr. Albert Alejo, member of the GPH Reciprocal Working Committee (RWC) on CASER, and Jimmid Mansayag, government consultant on IP concerns. Beverly Longid, IP resource person from the NDFP side, likewise joined the dialogue.
Dayanghirang stressed that the GPH-NDFP talks now focus on CASER to "address the roots of armed conflict and help lead to reforms that the people seek." CASER is one of three key agreements that the government and the CPP-NPA-NDFP have agreed to complete within a period of 18 months to three years.
Dayanghirang, an IP from the Mandaya tribe of Davao Oriental and chair of the GPH Reciprocal Working Committee (RWC) on CASER, cited six roots of the armed conflict which the CASER draft proposal must confront. These include poverty, poor delivery of basic services, marginalization of IPs, inequitable distribution of wealth and resources, unemployment and underemployment, and environmental degradation.
Noting that a lot still needs to be done to address IP issues, Dayanghirang said that poverty and underdevelopment have grown as reflected in statistics.
Immediate measures
The secluded, landlocked town of Lacub is among many areas in the Cordillera region richly endowed with gold ore deposits and other mineral resources but remains underdeveloped, Dayanghirang underscored.
There has been decades-old opposition to large-scale mining which has caused damage to the environment and local agriculture, economic and physical displacement of IP communities, and worsening impacts of climate change.
In the manifestos read by provincial IP representatives, issues on ancestral domain claims, alleged human rights violations of the military, poor delivery of basic services, corruption among local officials, and others were highlighted as barriers to development.
On this, Dayanghirang said that the GPH panel will consider recommending immediate measures to address the problems. "The panel has the moral ascendancy to tell the President (Benigno Aquino III) what the people want," he said.
Among these are revisiting and evaluating conflicting policies regarding ancestral domain claims; considering a legal framework where Certificate of Ancestral Domain Title (CADT) holders can defend their ancestral lands; and proposing to include public lands in the distribution to peasants.
Dayanghirang also asked the IPs to "educate us on your stand regarding the bills or the laws that you are proposing," expressing hopes that more IPs will represent them on the legislative level.
On the NDFP part, Baylosis called for a moratorium on mining in the region. He added that the NPA can be given the responsibility "to guard the forests as well as the ancestral domains from capitalists."
"We can also create a joint political authority that would implement the reforms that have been agreed," he suggested.
IP support
Dayanghirang appealed to the IPs to push both parties to finally come to a peace agreement. "We have to continue persuading each other," he stated.
He also urged them to continue these dialogues because "the masses are critical to the success of the negotiations."
"Peace talks would be useless if the people are not involved," stressed Dayanghirang.
Further, he encouraged them to help the government and the NDFP solicit inputs from the people by holding their own consultations. "Let us pool our efforts in bridging the gap between the people and the government so that the government will understand the issues of the basic sectors."
The GPH-NDF joint peace consultation was organized by the Cordillera People’s Alliance and Katribu Partylist. #
Lacub, Abra, Apr. 30
– Peace panel member Ednar Dayanghirang on Wednesday assured the indigenous peoples (IP) of the Cordillera that the government will take account of the issues and recommendations they have aired in drafting the Comprehensive Agreement on the Socio-economic Reforms (CASER) with the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army-National Democratic Front of the Philippines (CPP-NPA-NDFP).
In a joint peace consultation with NDFP panel member Rafael Baylosis during the 27thCordillera Day held in Barangay Buneg here, Dayanghirang urged the IP representatives of Abra, Apayao, Kalinga, Benguet, Ifugao and Mountain Province to continue articulating their concrete proposals to the Government of the Philippines (GPH).
Also present were Fr. Albert Alejo, member of the GPH Reciprocal Working Committee (RWC) on CASER, and Jimmid Mansayag, government consultant on IP concerns. Beverly Longid, IP resource person from the NDFP side, likewise joined the dialogue.
Dayanghirang stressed that the GPH-NDFP talks now focus on CASER to "address the roots of armed conflict and help lead to reforms that the people seek." CASER is one of three key agreements that the government and the CPP-NPA-NDFP have agreed to complete within a period of 18 months to three years.
Dayanghirang, an IP from the Mandaya tribe of Davao Oriental and chair of the GPH Reciprocal Working Committee (RWC) on CASER, cited six roots of the armed conflict which the CASER draft proposal must confront. These include poverty, poor delivery of basic services, marginalization of IPs, inequitable distribution of wealth and resources, unemployment and underemployment, and environmental degradation.
Noting that a lot still needs to be done to address IP issues, Dayanghirang said that poverty and underdevelopment have grown as reflected in statistics.
Immediate measures
The secluded, landlocked town of Lacub is among many areas in the Cordillera region richly endowed with gold ore deposits and other mineral resources but remains underdeveloped, Dayanghirang underscored.
There has been decades-old opposition to large-scale mining which has caused damage to the environment and local agriculture, economic and physical displacement of IP communities, and worsening impacts of climate change.
In the manifestos read by provincial IP representatives, issues on ancestral domain claims, alleged human rights violations of the military, poor delivery of basic services, corruption among local officials, and others were highlighted as barriers to development.
On this, Dayanghirang said that the GPH panel will consider recommending immediate measures to address the problems. "The panel has the moral ascendancy to tell the President (Benigno Aquino III) what the people want," he said.
Among these are revisiting and evaluating conflicting policies regarding ancestral domain claims; considering a legal framework where Certificate of Ancestral Domain Title (CADT) holders can defend their ancestral lands; and proposing to include public lands in the distribution to peasants.
Dayanghirang also asked the IPs to "educate us on your stand regarding the bills or the laws that you are proposing," expressing hopes that more IPs will represent them on the legislative level.
On the NDFP part, Baylosis called for a moratorium on mining in the region. He added that the NPA can be given the responsibility "to guard the forests as well as the ancestral domains from capitalists."
"We can also create a joint political authority that would implement the reforms that have been agreed," he suggested.
IP support
Dayanghirang appealed to the IPs to push both parties to finally come to a peace agreement. "We have to continue persuading each other," he stated.
He also urged them to continue these dialogues because "the masses are critical to the success of the negotiations."
"Peace talks would be useless if the people are not involved," stressed Dayanghirang.
Further, he encouraged them to help the government and the NDFP solicit inputs from the people by holding their own consultations. "Let us pool our efforts in bridging the gap between the people and the government so that the government will understand the issues of the basic sectors."
The GPH-NDF joint peace consultation was organized by the Cordillera People’s Alliance and Katribu Partylist. #
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