COTABATO CITY --- International donor
agencies reaffirmed their strong support to the Bangsamoro peace process, as
they pledged to continue carrying out initiatives that will help unleash the
full economic potential of the region and bring long-lasting peace to its
people said a report by the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace
Process (OPAPP) last February 18. Cick above to read more.....
This
was the upbeat atmosphere here last February 21 during the Bangsamoro Friends
Forum co-organized by the Embassy of Japan (EoJ) and the United Nations (UN),
with support from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), said the
report.
The
gathering of donor agencies along with officials of the Bangsamoro Autonomous
Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) aimed to update stakeholders on key
developments in the Bangsamoro, as well as identify the major challenges
confronting the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA) and propose ways to best
address them.
“Japan
will never tire of lending a hand to the Mindanao peace process. We share with
the Philippine government the dream of enduring peace and a better life for the
Bangsamoro,” said Embassy of Japan Deputy Chief of Mission Yamamoto Yasushi.
The
Japanese government has been actively supporting the Bangsamoro peace process
through its participation in various mechanisms such as the International
Monitoring Team, International Contact Group, and Independent Commission on
Policing.
Moreover,
the government of Japan has also been involved in the operationalization of the
first Joint Peace and Security Team
deployed in the region. The JPSTs will ensure the safety and security of
areas where the decommissioning process is being held, the OPAPP report also
said.
For her
part, Lori Kati, acting UN resident coordinator and UN Populations Fund (UNFPA)
representative, threw the organization’s support behind the Philippine
government’s socio-economic and peace-building efforts.
“I’d
like to hereby reiterate the commitment of the UN system in the Philippines
that we shall continue to provide and support you in all our capacity, whether
it’s for emergency response, development efforts, or peace-building,” Kato
said.
The BARMM’s Development Plan 2020-2022,
recent peace and development milestones in the region, updates on the
implementation of the Normalization Program, and the Inter-governmental
Relations Body were also discussed during the forum.
In his
remarks, OPAPP Assistant Secretary Wilben Mayor underscored the government’s
sincerity to complete the implementation of all commitments under the
Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB).
“We at
THE OPAPP believe that there are no shortcuts to achieving long-lasting peace
and sustainable development. Attaining this vision is a long and difficult
process and is filled with a lot of challenges. But we have, time and again,
overcome these trials because of our will and determination to build a better
and brighter future for the Bangsamoro people,” he said.
Other
officials present during the forum were Government of the Philippines
Implementing Panel Chair David B. Diciano, Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF)
Implementing Panel Chair Mohagher Iqbal, Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA)
Executive Secretary Abdulraof Macacua, BTA Minister of Public Works Eduard
Guerra, Bangsamoro Planning and Development Authority (BPDA) head Muhajirin
Ali, Reverend Cardinal Orlando Beltran Quevedo, and representatives from the
embassies of Japan, Switzerland, and Spain. (ALEXANDER ISKANDAR, LUWARAN.COM,
MINDANAO EXPOSE')
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