Presidential Peace Adviser Jesus G. Dureza pledged scholarship programs and additional allocation for the PAMANA-Mansalay project for the benefit of the Mangyan tribe in Mindoro.

Dureza briefly interrupted his work in Lanao by flying to Mindoro yesterday and met with local officials and the 7 Mangyan tribes where he also inaugurated a road building project penetrating the interiors of the town of Mansalay, Oriental Mindoro, an area where most of the indigenous peoples have settled.

In a dialogue with the indigenous tribe, Dureza committed tertiary scholarships to Mangyan youth, saying that education should be the priority of the Mangyans.

“I asked them what they need and they wanted to improve the education of their children. I committed to immediately increase allocation for our scholars for now. It’s a very specific request so we decided to support on the spot,” Dureza stated.

In addition and as a project proposal, Dureza committed an additional allocation for the Payapa at Masaganang Pamayanan (PAMANA) project, specifically for the municipality of Mansalay, Oriental Mindoro for the development of the indigenous people community situated there.

The PAMANA project is an inter-agency effort of the government, headed by the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP), to bring development and livelihood initiatives to those situated in conflict-affected areas.

“We need to improve the lives of people. Development is as crucial as peace and should be a simultaneous effort,” said Dureza.

The event was part of the Indigenous People’s (IP) peace table wherein the Duterte administration attains to engage, meet, converse with and hear the concerns, inputs, recommendations of IPs in the country.

The IP peace table, through its leading panel, shall bring, advocate, espouse or present to the GPH Panels the consolidated inputs, issues and concerns, and aspirations of IP communities, as articulated by their leaders, relative to the GRP-NDFP peace process, the Bangsamoro Transition Commission (BTC) in the crafting of the enabling law for the implementation of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB), and other agencies for other IP issues and concerns that impact on the peace process.