THE Australian Government and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) have unveiled a new P78-million initiative aimed at enhancing governance and community resilience in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).

The Programme on Stabilization, Peacebuilding, and Resilience in the Bangsamoro (PROSPER-Bangsamoro) is backed by funding support from Australia, UNDP said in a statement on Monday.

The two-year program will promote inclusive governance by providing technical assistance to local governments, inclusion, and cohesion among communities by engaging women, youth, Indigenous Peoples, and civil society.

The PROSPER-Bangsamoro program will assist the normalization processes for former combatants and their communities, transforming Moro revolutionary groups into active social movements.

“Australia’s engagement in Mindanao is part of a long-term effort to support stability and economic development in the region,” Moya Collett, Australian Deputy Ambassador to the Philippines said.

UNDP Philippines Resident Representative Selva Ramachandran said the goal “is to enable communities to access peace dividends through socio-economic opportunities and to foster solidarity and reconciliation for sustainable development in the region.” — Aubrey Rose A. Inosante

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