Transformation of MILF camps begin with community consultations

Members of the Government Implementing Panel have started their visits and “conversations” in the six camps of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) in preparation for the transformation of these sites into peaceful and productive communities in line with the new Bangsamoro region. Undersecretary Gloria Jumamil-Mercado of the of the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP), also chair of the government panel, said the visits are part of the “inclusive approach” for the planning and implementation of programs. “We will be having in-depth conversations and consultations with you so that the government will be able to download what you really want and need… so that the plan will be coming from you and not from the outside,” she told the community as quoted in an OPAPP statement released Tuesday. The six MILF camps are Bushra, Bilal, Rajamuda, Abubakar, Bad’r, and Camp Omar. Panel member and OPAPP Assistant Secretary Ma. Cecilia Papa said it is very important for the members of the camps to have a “sense of ownership” in designing and identifying the socio-economic interventions for their communities. The socio-economic program will focus on the following: camp transformation for basic and life sustenance, scholarships, school buildings, farm-to-market roads and other infrastructure components, and sustainable livelihood.