The Army’s 79th Infantry (Masaligan) Battalion joined the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP) during a visit to the Peace and Development Community (PDC) site in Sitio Nangka at Barangay Bagonbon, San Carlos City, Negros Occidental on November 17.
The validation aims to assess priority interventions needed in the site as well as to finalize the delineation and actual marking of boundaries of the protection occupation area as stipulated in the memorandum of agreement between and among the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, the OPAPP, and the Kapatiran Para sa Progresong Panlipunan Inc.
OPAPP provincial Coordinator Jayson Encinares, together with the Department of Agriculture-Region 6 represented by Eliazar Villar and Lieutenant Colonel Gerard Alvaran, commanding officer of 79IB, facilitated the turnover of two units of water pump to the Kapatiran community.
The OPAPP convened the members of the Local Site Coordinating Team (SCT) and other participating agencies to discuss the process of organizing the local SCT as well as the status of Payapa at Masaganang Pamayanan (PAMANA) program for the Kapatiran community, which is under the oversight of OPAPP that aims to deliver peace-promoting, socio-economic projects to remote, conflict-ridden areas in the country.
Alvaran expressed his commitment of support to the peace-related projects of the government and emphasized that Kapatiran leaders and members should also play a more active role in the sustainable management of the PAMANA projects in the area to benefit the generations to come.
“Despite the challenges caused by the pandemic, we, your Philippine Army, remain steadfast in our commitment to extend assistance and support to all peace-promoting projects of the government. This PAMANA project is proof of how far our government has come to achieve just and lasting peace across the country,” Alvaran said.*