• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
The Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity (OPAPRU) has earmarked P550 million for appropriated projects under its PAyapa at MAsaganang PamayaNAn (PAMANA) Program for 2025, in connection with the government peace agreement with the Rebolusyonaryong Partido ng Manggagawa ng Pilipinas/Revolutionary Proletarian Army/Alex Boncayao Brigade (RPM-P/RPA/ABB).
OPAPRU has a budget of P7 billion for next year, as approved by the House of Representatives, from its proposed budget of P10.4 billion under the National Expenditure Program (NEP) for fiscal year 2025.
Of the approved P7 billion budget, P5.3 billion shall cover critical PAMANA projects to sustain the momentum of what has been started in 2024, according to a statement issued by OPAPRU.
PAMANA projects account for over 74 percent of the OPAPRU’s 2025 NEP. The remaining is being divided among other peace tables, including the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF), CPP-NPA-NDF), and Cordillera Bodong Administration-Cordillera People’s Liberation Army (CBA-CPLA).
PAMANA is a comprehensive, cross-cutting development program of the Philippine government that is designed to address the root causes of conflict in isolated, hard-to-reach peace and development focus areas in the country.
It aims to foster peace and development in armed conflict affected localities and address the main drivers of conflict by providing much needed basic services, improving governance, and empowering communities.
Presidential Peace Adviser Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. disclosed that the OPAPRU is in the final stages of implementing socio-economic projects for the RPM-P/RPA/ABB, now called Kapatiran.
The bulk of RPM-P/RPA/ABB armed combatants and their families are mostly located in Negros Island and portions of Panay island.
“Nasa 91 percent na po more or less ang obligations natin. So, medyo konti na lang po ang kailangan natin (We have already complied to more or less 91 percent of our obligations. So, we just need a little more),” Galvez said.
He added that the 2025 budget is an “investment for peace,” which is crucial in sustaining the transformation of former combatants, their families, and communities, and ensuring the implementation of all signed peace agreements.
“We are determined to maximize every centavo of this allocation to ensure the consistent implementation of the country’s comprehensive peace process,” Galvez said further.*
