NORMIN MAPS OUT
PEACE INITIATIVES VIA EO 70

Eyeing on ending local communist armed conflict, Northern Mindanao now gears up on crafting peace initiatives through operationalizing Executive Order 70.

Otherwise known as “Institutionalizing the Whole-Of-Nation approach in attaining inclusive and sustainable peace, creating a national task force to end local communist armed conflict, and directing the adoption of a national peace framework,” EO 70 addresses the root causes of insurgencies and other armed conflicts and threats by prioritizing and harmonizing the delivery of basic services and social development packages by the government. 

Moreover, it looks into facilitating societal inclusivity, and ensuring active participation of all sectors of the society in the pursuit of the country’s peace agenda. 

To complement the efforts of the National Task Force (NTF), Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Region 10 recently spearheaded a City/Provincial Action Planning Workshop on building sustainable peace towards a peaceful, inclusive, just, and equitable development. 

“When we say Whole-of-Nation approach, all other stakeholders, not only the military and the police, not only those in the government, but including those in the community are included in this mission,” DILG Peace and Order Undersecretary Bernardo Florece, Jr. said. 

Participated by select Region 10 local-national government functionaries, the activity served as an avenue in creating city/provincial action plan that are all contributory to the goal of ending local communist armed conflicts in the ground and winning peace for the communities and its constituents. 

                “What is important is that our local government units, with the support of our government agencies, will be able to identify projects, programs, and activities that are responsive to our objectives,” DILG 10 Regional Director Arnel M. Agabe said. 

He urged the participants to take in mind that the implementation of EO 70 is time-bounded, hence the need to prioritize said Executive Order now. 

                Moreover, supporting the idea that everything that local government units engage into should be consistent with the national structure, Cagayan de Oro City Mayor Oscar S. Moreno hoped that the said activity will lead Northern Mindanao to a better understanding in successfully performing its roles when it comes to EO 70. 

“Kailangan magtulungan dahil wala ng boundaries when it comes to peace,” he said. 

Meanwhile, DILG 10 Assistant Regional Director Yvette Tolentino-Sunga said that, “We need to respect EO 70 because that is the solution that the current administration could think of to really end the local communist armed conflict,” 

With this, she coined an acronym “RESPECT” to better commit to EO 70. This stands for “Re-learn, Engage, Sustain, Persevere, Elevate, Converge, and Trust”. 

City/Provincial Action Planning Workshop on Building Sustainable Peace towards a Peaceful, Inclusive, Just, and Equitable Development was held on June 4-5, 2019 at N Hotel, Cagayan de Oro City.