Convergence areas for peace, development approved in North Mindanao

MALAYBALAY CITY – The Regional Development Council of Northern Mindanao (RDC-X) and the Regional Peace and Order Council (RPOC-X) approved the Convergence Areas for Peace and Development (CAPDev) as the enabling program to operationalize Executive Order (EO) 70 signed by President Rodrigo Duterte.

Duterte signed the EO 70 on December 4 to institutionalize the “Whole-of-Nation Approach” in attaining inclusive and sustainable peace.

The CAPDev shall be the region’s banner program to address the root causes of insurgency, internal disturbances, tensions, threats, and other armed conflicts. It aims to promote the establishment of durable peace and development and empower communities in the priority focus areas through peace-building and reconciliation, socio-economic transformation, good governance, and institution building.

The program also espouses a focused, coordinated, and sustained delivery of the government’s basic services, as well as social development packages in poor, conflict-affected and geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas in the region.

It shall work within existing institutional and political arrangements, and shall be integrated with the entire development planning and implementation machinery and processes. The local governments are the frontline service providers and main implementers of the program, while the RDC-X, RPOC-X, national government agencies, civil society organizations.

The private sector shall complement the efforts of the local governments. The CAPDev program shall be implemented in the following clusters: Mt. Balatucan Range, Mt. Mangabon Odiongan Complex, Saldab and Kalabugao Plains, Pantaron and Umayam Complex, Salug Valley, Gamot-Dumasilag Complex, Mt. Kitanglad Range, Mt. Kalatungan Range, West Bukidnon Plateau, Iligan-CDO Tributaries, Mt. Malindang, Mt. Ampiro, Gadungan Mountain Range, Mt. Peurai Complex, Maigo-Tangcal-Magsaysay Tributaries, and Salvador-Nunungan Tributaries.

Both councils directed the Northern Mindanao PeaceDev Coordination Group—an ad hoc committee composed of the Philippine Army’s 4th Infantry Division with its 403rd Infantry Brigade; 1st Infantry Division with its 2nd Mechanized Infantry Brigade and 10th Infantry Battalion.

The Northern Mindanao PeaceDev Coordination Group also includes Balay Mindanao Foundation Inc. and Region 10 offices of the Philippine National Police, the Department of the Interior and Local Government and the National Economic and Development Authority. Both RDC and RPOC also directed the NorMin PeaceDev Coordination Group to start this year the mainstreaming and interfacing of the CAPDev in all regional and local development processes. (Tricia Marie Antivo)

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