PASAY CITY — The Senate approved on Tuesday, November 19, the proposed Php7.094 billion budget of the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity (OPAPRU) for 2025.

Of the total amount, Php 5.3 billion will cover the implementation and sustain the momentum of OPAPRU’s high-impact projects under its PAyapa at MAsaganang PamayaNAn (PAMANA) Program.

The PAMANA projects account for over 74% of the OPAPRU’s 2025 National Expenditure Program (NEP).

Both houses of Congress will now move to the bicameral session to deliberate on the inclusion of the peace agency’s budget in the 2025 national budget.

PAMANA: OPAPRU’s flagship program

PAMANA is the national government’ comprehensive peace and development convergence program implemented in conflict-affected and vulnerable communities nationwide.

Its projects include the construction of community-level infrastructure facilities such as roads, bridges, water systems, and housing units to address the main drivers of conflict.

Under the 2025 NEP, the OPAPRU allotted Php 1B for Luzon, Php 1.2B for Visayas, and Php 2.7B for Mindanao for PAMANA projects that will be implemented in 15 regions, 47 provinces, and 120 municipalities across the country.

During the Senate’s deliberations, Senator Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel noted the similarities in coverage of PAMANA and the Barangay Development Program (BDP) that is being implemented by the National Task Force to End Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC), particularly the target beneficiaries of the said programs.

Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa, sponsor of OPAPRU’s budget, clarified that while the BDP also caters to former members of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army-National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF), it is only being carried out at the barangay level.

Dela Rosa, on the other hand, noted that PAMANA is focused on carrying out projects at the provincial and municipal levels.

He pointed out that the OPAPRU-led program has a wider scope of coverage, as it also caters to former members of other groups including the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF), CPP-NPA-NDF, Rebolusyonaryong Partido ng Manggagawa ng Pilipinas/Revolutionary Proletarian Army/Alex Boncayao Brigade (RPM-P/RPA/ABB), and Cordillera Bodong Administration-Cordillera People’s Liberation Army (CBA-CPLA).

PAMANA has also integrated Conflict-Sensitive and Peace Promoting (CSPP) approaches in all its projects to ensure that they foster social cohesion, greater collaboration and the more active involvement of all stakeholders.

The OPAPRU also has a Social Healing and Peacebuilding (SHAPE) Program that aims to repair the torn social fabric of communities, particularly areas that have been affected by armed conflict.

As of November this year, OPAPRU has attained a high disbursement rate of over 90% in the implementation of its programs and projects for FY 2024.

As a result, the office was ranked among the line agencies with the highest budget utilization rate for the first half of the fiscal year.

OPAPRU’s transformation initiatives commended

Pimentel also praised OPAPRU for the effectiveness of its peace mechanisms and normalization initiatives that are making a significant impact in the lives of its beneficiaries.

These include the Educational Assistance Program, which seeks to provide education opportunities to student-grantees who are children of decommissioned Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) combatants.

Over 1,000 student beneficiaries pursuing higher education in various institutions throughout Mindanao will receive Php 50,000 each per school year.

Pimentel also lauded OPAPRU’s successful turnover of 200 modified shelter units to MNLF combatants and their families.

“Sana i-share ninyo yung mga projects na ganito. Very successful,” he suggested.

Senate manifests support to OPAPRU and the peace agenda

Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri, chair of the Senate Committee on Economic Affairs, also expressed his full support to OPAPRU and the agency’s sustained efforts to attain a just and lasting peace for the nation.

“Nagpapasalamat po ako kay Secretary [Galvez] for continuing the faith and the fight for peace,” adding, “I know it is a bit difficult. Definitely it is, but we can claim that we are doing a whole of government [approach].”

Zubiri shared that members of the Thailand parliament are in the country to learn about how the Philippines successfully passed its Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL).

The Thai officials, he said, intend to use the BOL as a model that will help them address the ongoing conflict in the southern part of their country.

Zubiri also cited the decreasing poverty incidence in the Bangsamoro as one of the major achievements since the passage of the BOL.

“We have now brought down the poverty incidence of BARMM from 55% to now 23%…we were able to erase 20 plus percent of poverty incidences from Maguindanao, from Lanao [del] Sur because of this process,” he said.

“I just want to give my full support to their budget and any initiatives by this Senate to even give them more to be able to continue the peace and order situation, not only in Mindanao, but throughout the country,” Zubiri added.

Presidential Peace Adviser Secretary Carlito G. Galvez, Jr., in a statement, thanked Senator Dela Rosa and the Senate leadership for fully supporting the peace agenda of the Marcos administration.

“The approval of OPAPRU’s budget is a major investment on the comprehensive Philippine peace process. With the strong support of the Senate, we seek to ensure the full implementation of all signed peace agreements,” Galvez said.

The peace adviser also said that they are determined to maximize the funds down to the last centavo and ensure full accountability to sustain efforts on post-conflict reconstruction, rehabilitation and transition.###