BARMM, development partners prepare for Peace and Security Summit

COTABATO CITY — Different BARMM agencies, Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), Non-Government Organizations (NGOs), and other humanitarian agencies participated in the Ministry of Social Services and Development (MSSD)-led Peace and Security Pre-Summit activity on Tuesday, May 18, in Cotabato City.
 
The activity was conducted to identify solutions and address the current situation of the affected families in the SPMS box and other conflict areas in Maguindanao province.
 
MSSD Minister Atty. Raissa H. Jajurie said that it is important to identify more coherent strategies and areas for cooperation between the Bangsamoro Government and other development partners towards durable solutions to displacements and sustainable development.
 
The regional government and the MSSD itself will seek solution and protect the Bangsamoro constituents in order to attain and achieve the long-lasting peace in the region.
 
The participants had the privilege to listen to the stories of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) women, youth, senior citizens and other affected individuals from Datu Saudi Ampatuan, Mamasapanao, Talitay, and South Upi in Maguindanao.
 
Samsudin Tondok (an IDP youth leader from Mamasapano) and Milan Sayudin (IDP woman leader from Datu Saudi Ampatuan) shared how difficult their situation is with the recurring displacements in their communities inside the SPMS box. 
 
Furthermore, Norhamin Kanakan, an IDP youth volunteer in one of the evacuation centers in Talitay, shared his experiences of being caught in the middle of the feuding clans (rido) in their town, while Tessie Ambol from Barangay Kuya in South Upi explained how the Tedurays have been in and out of evacuation centers since the conflict first erupted in 2017.
 
Upon learning their stories, the participants proposed different strategies and areas for cooperation on peacebuilding, humanitarian response, and development interventions.
 
The MSSD is fully addressing life-saving needs, ensuring mechanisms that addresses the systemic causes of conflict and vulnerability, and supporting the peace initiatives, which are essential for a sustainable development.
 
Meanwhile, Ministry of Basic, Higher and Technical Education (MBHTE) Minister Mohagher Iqbal said that the CSOs and the private sector can contribute to the various priority programs of the BARMM, including education, social services, health, and the economic upliftment of the Bangsamoro people and ensure that collaboration between the public and private sectors will be efficient.
 
"We need to have a mechanism in place that would define CSO's participation in achieving BARMM development goals. This mechanism, or set of protocols, will also prevent the duplication of roles and the effective use of resources," Iqbal added.
 
This activity was organized in preparation for the Bangsamoro Peace and Security Summit for Sustainable Local Development on Monday, May 24. (Bangsamoro Information Office)