The government is carrying out the Transformation Program to improve the socio-economic conditions of Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) combatants and their families, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. said on Monday.
“We are also implementing the Transformation Program, which aims to uplift the socio-economic conditions of MNLF combatants, and their families, and communities as well,” President Marcos said during the opening in Malacañang of the National Peace Consciousness Month (NPCM) and the commemoration of the 28th anniversary of the 1996 Final Peace Agreement (FPA) with the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) in Malacañan.
“In the spirit of convergence, I urge you to continue working with all stakeholders in the region towards accountable, transparent, and people-centered in governance in the region,” the President said.
He also called on the MNLF and other stakeholders in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) to ensure a peaceful, orderly, and credible conduct of the first Bangsamoro elections next year.
The government is implementing the Transformation Program to transition MNLF combatants and communities into peaceful and productive units of society, in parallel with the Normalization program of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), in support of the overall peace and development efforts in the Bangsamoro.
Under the General Appropriations Act of Fiscal Year 2023, PhP294.2 million was approved for the MNLF Transformation Program to support community assessment, socio-economic profiling of combatants, and the implementation of 79 projects for the 25 priority communities of the MNLF.
These projects include capacity building on various livelihood projects, infrastructure development, transport, electrification, and farm or fishery inputs.
The allocation also funds civil registration and enrollment in the Philippine ID system, transitional cash assistance worth PhP45,000 for profiled combatants, validation and verification of combatants, and documentation of firearms in Basilan, Sulu, Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao provinces, North Cotabato, and Cotabato City.
On the security side, the government reported 2,863 validated combatants and 1,996 verified and documented firearms as of August this year.
PND
