DAVAO CITY—The Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation, and Unity, cited (OPAPRU) the remarkable economic growth that is taking place in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), the amazing transformation of former combatants and successful implementation of localized peace engagements as among the major gains achieved under the Philippines’ comprehensive peace process.
Addressing an audience of top national and Bangsamoro government leaders, local government officials, private sector executives and representatives from the international donor community and diplomatic corps during the opening of the Mindanao Development Forum 2024 on Wednesday, July 24, Presidential Peace Adviser Sec. Carlito G. Galvez Jr. underscored the Marcos administration’s unwavering commitment to peace and development as articulated in the Philippine Development Plan 2023-2028.

Booming economy

Galvez, who was represented by OPAPRU Deputy Presidential Peace Adviser Usec. Isidro Purisima, emphasized in his presentation how peace and security are critical components in achieving sustainable development and a vibrant economy in the Bangsamoro.

“Tourists are now travelling to areas in the BARMM that were once feared. the previous conflict hotspot provinces of Sulu and Basilan have also been declared Abu Sayyaf free,” he said.

“This development has greatly boosted trade and investment activities in the region, providing much needed income to its residents,” Galvez added.

He also noted that the region has seen a notable decrease in poverty incidence, dropping from 52.6% in 2018 to 34.8% in 2023.

The BARMM, he said, experienced a 140% increase in investments, with at least PHP 3.1 billion invested in the third quarter of 2023 alone, generating 1,927 jobs for local residents.

“The Bangsamoro region is fast becoming an epicenter of peace and transformation,” Galvez said, highlighting the region’s continuously expanding economy.

Peace investments

According to the peace adviser, the national government has invested significantly in socioeconomic programs for the 26,145 decommissioned Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) combatants under its Normalization Program, with PHP 3.5 billion allocated for this purpose since 2015.

Of this figure, he said PHP 2.6 billion was used for transitional cash assistance. Additionally, PHP 1.6 billion has been earmarked for the remaining 14,000 MILF combatants who are set to be decommissioned under the fourth and final phase.

“The gears of the peace process have been turning for several decades now but significant strides have been made over the past few years,” Galvez said.

“President Marcos himself has said that true peace is achieved when the bloody tally of war is replaced with a scoreboard of development,” he added.

Galvez stressed these peacebuilding efforts are aimed at “assisting former combatants transition to productive civilian life.”

Transformation and normalization of former combatants

Galvez pointed out that the country’s comprehensive peace process is now in the implementation stage of all signed agreements.

In particular, he cited the government’s focus on the “transformation and normalization of former rebels, their families, and communities.”

Galvez said that among the Marcos Administration’s most notable achievements under this holistic approach is the integration of MILF and Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) members into the Philippine National Police (PNP).

He reported that 394 out of the 396 MILF and MNLF members who took their oath last year as patrolmen and patrol women graduated from the Bangsamoro Police Basic Recruit Course (BPBRC) on April 29 and July 2 of this year.

Galvez said the national government likewise continues to implement initiatives under the Final Peace Agreement with the MNLF that seek to transform the lives of its members.

“Under this program, 1,802 MNLF combatants have successfully undergone a profiling process wherein more than 8000 were stencilled to avail themselves of socioeconomic packages,” he said.

Galvez said some 79 priority projects have been identified across 25 priority MNLF communities amounting to Php125 million. All are due for completion this year.

Ending communist armed conflict

With the milestones achieved by the national government under the Bangsamoro peace process, it is also channelling its efforts on finally putting an end to the decades-long communist rebellion.

“Therefore, the OPAPRU continues to find ways to resolve the armed conflict, end the armed struggle, and transform the CPP-NPA-NDF through peace negotiation and transformation,” Galvez stated.

The government’s peacebuilding efforts in this regard, he said, are now bearing fruit as, “There are no more active guerrilla fronts across the country. Now, only seven weakened groups remain to be dismantled.”

Galvez said that another landmark achievement by the Marcos Administration is the Joint Communique signed last year by top officials of the Philippine Government and the CPP-NPA-NDF wherein both sides agreed “to continue the exploratory talks to arrive at an inclusive framework to reach a genuine political settlement in the future.”

This agreement, he said, marked the first time the communist group acknowledged an end to the armed struggle without any preconditions, noting that “This was an incredible achievement for our peace process.”

Localized Peace Engagements

In parallel with these national government-led efforts, he bared that Localized Peace Engagements (LPE) have also made substantial progress through community-driven interventions.

“We have engaged 39 out of 51 Provincial Local Government Units (PLGUs) to craft and adopt Transformation Program Plans for former members of the CPP-NPA-NDF, their families, and communities,” Galvez shared.

Further, he said 16 provincial local government units have initiated the establishment of Peace and Development Centers that will lead the implementation of peacebuilding interventions in their respective areas.

Amnesty, the best policy

Meanwhile, Galvez said the Marcos administration is also accelerating the implementation of its Amnesty Program for former rebels.

“Amnesty symbolizes our collective commitment to leave behind the wounds of the past and forge a brighter future built on understanding and forgiveness,” he pointed out.

In November last year, the Marcos administration signed proclamations granting amnesty to former rebels. Both the House of Representatives and the Senate issued resolutions concurring with these amnesty proclamations.

“We are also pleased to share that the National Amnesty Commission (NAC) has issued its implementing rules and regulations for processing the amnesty program,” Galvez reported.

The NAC plans to establish 19 local amnesty boards nationwide to process at least 20,000 to 30,000 former rebels within the next two years.

Building and sustaining the gains of peace

And through the government’s Payapa at Masaganang Pamayanan (PAMANA) program, he said that Php 5 billion “has been allocated for peace investments this year, and PHP 5.2 billion for the next year.”

Galvez also highlighted the key role that bodies such as the Intergovernmental Relations Body (IGRB) and the Inter-Cabinet Cluster Mechanism on Normalization (ICCMN) play in sustaining the BARMM economic development and progress.

“All seven intergovernmental relation mechanisms have been operationalized, signalling the BARMM’S continuous path towards greater economic empowerment and progress,” he said.

The ICCMN, on the other hand, Galvez said, “continues to guide collective efforts and harness resources from almost 30 government agencies, focusing on socioeconomic development programs for decommissioned combatants and their communities, as well as the six previously acknowledged camps.”

Moving forward

Galvez reaffirmed the national government’s unwavering determination to fulfill its commitments under all peace agreements, while fostering a peaceful and progressive environment where former combatants can fully integrate into society and rebuild their lives.

“Thus, we need to always remember that the peace process is not only the responsibility of the national government or by any single agency alone,” Galvez said.

“Taking the gains of this peace process to even greater heights requires a whole-of-nation, whole-of-society approach. Each and every one of us has a stake in the Philippine comprehensive peace process,” he concluded. ###