PROACTIVE: Development Assistance and Projects in the MILF Camps bring hopes to the future of peace and progress

BANGSAMORO GOVERNMENT CENTER — Through the Programme on Assistance for Camp Transformation through Inclusion Violence Prevention and Economic Empowerment (PROACTIVE), various development assistance and services were provided to the community-groups in the six (6) major acknowledged camps of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) namely, Camp Abubakar, Camp Badre, Camp Bilal, Camp Bushra, Camp Omar and Camp Rajamudah, spearheaded by the United Nation Development Programme (UNDP – Philippines), and Bangsamoro Development Agency (BDA), Inc., on September 6-24, 2024.

The program aims to contribute in enhancing local capacities to facilitate transition and transformation of the six (6) acknowledged camps of the MILF into peaceful and productive communities.

According to Assistant Senior Minister, also Project Manager Abdullah M. Cusain, PROACTIVE is another commendable initiative to jumpstart the challenging task of transforming MILF camps into economically productive and socially cohesive communities that renounce violence and move towards peaceful coexistence.

“The services provided by the ministries, offices and agencies of the Bangsamoro Government are basic, yet it is believed that such services reaffirm the commitment of the Bangsamoro Government to contribute in improving the quality of life of the combatants living in the six (6) acknowledged MILF camps. As peace and development is truly incremental in nature, we hope that future undertakings of service delivery would be able to sustain the aspirations of these people for meaningful changes in their socio-economic status”, Assistant Senior Minister Cusain said.

The Office of the Chief Minister Ahod “Al Haj Murad” Ebrahim through Project TABANG, distributed a total of 600 25-kg of rice sacks, 600 food packs, 600 corn seeds, 600 fertilizers and 500 vegetable seeds. Deputy Project Manager Abobaker I. Edris, facilitated the said distribution to 16 barangays across the six (6) MILF camps, such as Camp Abubakar as Siddique in Maguindanao del Norte, Camp Badre in Maguindanao del Sur, Camp Bilal in Lanao del Norte, Camp Bushra Somiorang in Lanao del Sur, Camp Omar Ibn al-Khattab in Maguindanao del Sur, and Camp Rajamudah in North Cotabato.

During the program, Deputy Project Manager Edris highlighted the Project TABANG’s operations and services through its three (3) major components such as, Health Ancillary Services, Livelihood, and Humanitarian Response and Services, in delivering immediate direct services and assistance to the Bangsamoro communities within and outside the BARMM core territories.

PROACTIVE is a collaborative programme of the United Nation Development Programme (UNDP – Philippines) and the Bangsamoro Development Agency (BDA Inc.) under the European Union Framework for Assistance to Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), and Mindanao Peace and Development Programme – Peace and Development in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (MINPAD-PD BARMM).