BARIRA, MAGUINDANAO (23 JANUARY 2024) — The Master Development Plan for the Moro Islamic Liberation Front’s (MILF) Camp Abubakar was officially launched and signed on Tuesday, January 23, at the 1st Marine Brigade headquarters in Brgy. Tugaig, Barira, Maguindanao del Norte, marking another major milestone in the Bangsamoro peace process.

The event was spearheaded by the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity (OPAPRU) through the Joint Task Forces on Camps Transformation (JTFCT) and its PAyapa at MAsaganang PamayaNAn (PAMANA) Program.

The Master Development Plan, a collaborative effort between key national government agencies and BARMM ministries, local government units, and community members, is a comprehensive blueprint to transform Camp Abubakar into a peaceful, progressive and resilient community.

Once an area of conflict and unrest, the sprawling camp located in the heart of Central Mindanao is expected to undergo a remarkable transformation, and become a beacon of hope, progress, and prosperity for the entire region.

“The Master Development Plan is anchored and inspired by the Camps Transformation Plan formulated by the JTFCT in 2021. Ito ay isang konkretong hakbang upang unti-unting isakatuparan ang pinag-isang aspirasyon ng GPH at MILF na baguhin ang mukha ng kampo mula sa gulo at pagiging armado patungong kapayapaan at kaunlaran,” remarked Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity, Secretary Carlito G. Galvez, Jr. during the launching ceremony.

A community worth emulating

With its rich cultural heritage and strategic location, Camp Abubakar is poised to become a hub of socioeconomic activities. The Master Development Plan not only seeks to boost business activities in the camp, but also envisions its transformation into a sustainable development model for other communities within and outside the Bangsamoro region to emulate.

“The Master Development Plan ay nagmula at para sa mga residente ng Camp Abubakar. It is a blueprint that targets the socioeconomic deficiencies in the camp by providing housing solutions for the MILF decommissioned combatants, as well as a platform for other national government agencies and BARMM ministries to bring in programs and change,” Galvez said.

“Sisimulan ito sa mahigit na 300 hectares na settlement site dito sa Brgy. Tugaig, Barira, Maguindanao Del Norte, na noon ay naging sentro ng kaguluhan at ngayon ay magbabago para sa tunay na normalization ng mga kapatid natin sa MILF,” he added.

The Master Development, which was drafted by the National Housing Authority (NHA), envisions the camp’s development in the next 20 years. It features initial 234 housing units for FY 2024. The 134 housing units will be sourced from the Payapa at Masaganang Pamayanan or PAMANA while the 100 housing units will be shouldered by BARMM. Part of the camp transformation are access roads, telecommunication access, potable water access, agricultural plantation areas, institutional and religious buildings, health facilities, and mercantile areas, among others.

In an interview during the sidelines of the event, Galvez bared that in “PAMANA 2024 Barira alone has Php130 million,” which includes 134 housing projects amounting to Php 90 million, a water system in Brgy. Tugaig worth Php 50 million, a water system in Balawag for Php 50 million, a 15-meter bridge, as well as a road concreting project in Buldon worth Php 25 million.

The collaboration between different government entities, such as National Housing Authority (NHA), PAMANA, Bangsamoro Planning and Development Authority (BPDA), Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Agrarian Reform (MAFAR), Ministry of Environment, Natural Resources, and Energy (MENRE), and Ministry of Human Settlements and Development (MHSD), together with other stakeholders, is a significant step in realizing the national government’s “whole-of-nation” approach in the region.

Consequently, the plan highlights the National and BARMM government’s unified effort to push forward the Bangsamoro peace process by transforming the camps into show windows of peace and development.

Shared responsibility in sustaining peace

The national and Bangsamoro governments emphasized that its collaborative efforts with line agencies and local government units seek to ensure the successful implementation of proposed initiatives under the Master Plan.

“The Joint Task Forces on Camps Transformation has partnered with the Payapa at Masaganang Pamayanan. The PAMANA Program is anchored on the Government’s strategy of winning the peace by forging strategic partnerships in promoting convergent delivery of goods and services, and addressing regional development challenges in conflict-affected and conflict-vulnerable areas,” said OPAPRU Executive Director for Bangsamoro Transformation and GPH JTFCT Co-Chair, Cesar De Mesa.

“As we witness the effects and transformation of Camp Abubakar, it is a testament to the resilience and spirit of its people. The joint desire for peace and productivity within this community resonates, and today marks a significant step towards achieving that vision,” noted Member of the Parliament and GPH JTFCT Co-Chair, Engr. Baintan Adil-Ampatuan.

For Maguindanao Governor, Abdulraof Macacua, “development initiative[s] can flourish only within a peaceful environment, as fear and instability accompanied conflict impede progress.”

“Just as the root of the tree provides stability and nourishment, peace in our region will create prosperity…[through] the Master Plan, development for Camp Abubakar [will] blossom. These are the essential ingredients that foster an environment conducive to growth, stability and unity. It unlocks the door to progress and unleashing the potential within our people and land,” Macacua said. ###

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