CAMP EVANGELISTA, Cagayan de Oro City – The Office of Presidential Adviser on Peace Reconciliation and Unity (OPAPRU) spearheaded the conduct of the Transformation Program Planning Workshop for former rebels (FRs) in the region on October 10 – 12, 2023, at the Country Village Hotel, Brgy. Carmen, Cagayan de Oro City.
The said activity is in line with the government’s “Whole of Nation Approach” which focuses on the operationalization of the Local Peace Engagement (LPE) and enhancement of the Transformation Program (TP) for former rebels. This is to sustain the gains of peace and boost government efforts to end the local communist armed conflict by facilitating the peace process addressing the root cause of insurgency at the bottom level of the locality and ensuring the successful integration of FRs into mainstream society as peaceful and productive citizens while bolstering the resilience of CTG-cleared communities in Northern Mindanao.
The National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) and Regional Directors and representatives from the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), together with the Department of Justice, National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA), 4th Infantry (Diamond) Division, Philippine National Police, local government units, former rebels, and private institutions attended the activity as partners in TP.
During the activity, 4ID presented the conflict landscape and status of FRs in the region, particularly the security in conflict-affected and conflict-vulnerable areas in the province. Meanwhile, other agencies have presented the status of assistance and benefits accorded to FRs and updates of existing initiatives. Subsequently, participants were engaged in dialogues, exchanges of ideas, and best practices to gain a clear understanding of the situation in the region and the status of FRs to help them craft each provincial TP plan.
Highlighting the activity was the crafting and presentation of the 3-year Transformation Planning Roadmap by the representatives from the different government agencies in Bukidnon, Misamis Occidental, Misamis Oriental, and Cagayan de Oro City.
Prior to the said activity, OPAPRU conducted a Prework and Planning Workshop last October 5 as a preliminary before the abovementioned activity. The activity aimed to orient participants and gather input and valuable insights from the different local government units, provincial government agencies, and law enforcement agencies as well as the perspectives and recommendations of former rebels to further improve and refine the Transformation Program for its effective implementation.
MGen Edgardo Y De Leon (Ret), Regional Adviser on Peace and Security, OPAPRU, stated that the essence of the workshop is not just to transform FRs and the affected communities, but to transform the program itself to empower the communities and LGUs to take the lead in taking the steps towards peace and development.
In a statement, 4ID Commander MGen Jose Maria R Cuerpo II said that the workshop is the government’s unwavering commitment to transforming the lives of FRs and the communities in its quest to attain genuine peace in the region. By forging partnerships and collaborative efforts, a peaceful and progressive nation will certainly become a reality.
