INTRODUCTION
Community and Family Services International
(CFSI) -- a Philippines-based social development organization -- received
funds from the Post Conflict Unit of the World Bank for a pilot project
amongst internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Central Mindanao entitled
"Promoting the Transition from Conflict to Peace and Development at
the Community Level".
This project, which began in January 2001 and will be completed in July 2003, has two general objectives:
1. Make a difference in the lives of Filipinos displaced by armed conflict by working with the affected communities to develop enabling conditions that encourage safe return or settlement, facilitate the process of transition and stabilization, and provide a foundation for peace building and sustainable development.
2. Contribute to the existing knowledge base by developing and testing models that will inform approaches to the transition from conflict to peace.
Project coverage includes 6,759 families (33,550 persons) in the municipalities of Pagalungan and Pagagawan in the province of Maguindanao and the municipalities of Carmen, Kabacan, and Pikit in the province of North Cotabato. Maguindanao is part of the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (ARMM). At the time of community profiling in October 2001, 3,140 of these families (15,708 persons) were internally displaced persons (IDPs) living in thirty (30) evacuation centers. The remaining 3,619 families (17,842 persons) -- also displaced by war in 2000 -- had earlier returned to their communities of origin or settled in new location before October 2001.
World Bank support is primarily in the form of two grants. The first, covering the period 01 January 2001 through 30 June 2002, allowed CFSI to serve the IDPs in the thirty (30) evacuation centers as well as those who returned to their communities of origin in fourteen (14) "barangays" -- the smallest territorial and political element of government -- within the five municipalities. The second grant, running from 01 July 2002 through 31 July 2003, made it possible for CFSI to continue to assist those covered by the first grant as well as to expand services to fourteen (14) additional, underserved barangays in the interior areas of Central Mindanao.
In summary, 6,759 families (33,550 persons) in twenty-eight barangays in five municipalities in two provinces and in two regions are expected to directly benefit from this project.
This report summarizes project progress from 01 July through 31 October 2002.
WORKING ENVIRONMENT
There were significant developments in the environment that had implications for project implementation during this four-month reporting period. These can be grouped under the titles security, local leadership, and resources.
Security
The security situation during the reporting period was complicated. There were several skirmishes between the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) as well as between the AFP and others. Some of these involved aerial bombardments and led to the displacement of civilian populations in the provinces of Lanao del Sur and Maguindanao as well as limited to no access to the affected populations on the part of humanitarian assistance organizations. Despite these encounters and repeated allegations of MILF links to international terrorist organizations, both the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP) and the MILF strongly reiterated their commitment to the peace process.
Other security incidents appeared to be related to interpersonal conflict, extortion, and/or politics. For example, several shootings and killings at the University of Southern Mindanao (USM) in Kabacan, North Cotabato were attributed to long outstanding personal grudges. In Cotabato City, bombings in the compound of a shipping company allegedly came in the aftermath of the company's refusal to pay extortion money to armed groups. In the province of Maguindanao, the ambush of public officials and bomb threats were reportedly related to unresolved issues arising from the recently concluded barangay elections.
CFSI re-visited staff safety and security policies and procedures, worked at various levels to resolve security-related issues, sought the input of both the AFP and the MILF before visiting certain field sites, and continued to consult both formal and informal leaders as well as the community about actions that could be taken at the community level to improve security for all.
Despite these efforts, long-standing, significant security issues in a couple of barangays made it impossible for CFSI to achieve the level of community access necessary to provide the full range of services. As a result, it may soon become necessary to severely limit or bring to an end CFSI efforts to serve these particular barangays.
Local Leadership
In a few of the interior barangays, achieving access was complicated by announcements on the part of certain community leaders that their areas were "off-limits" to non-Muslims. CFSI met with the concerned leaders and helped them understand that international humanitarian law and the Guiding Principles on Displaced Persons required access to these communities, as well as assistance for those affected, without regard to political or religious persuasion. As a result of these interventions, both Muslim and non-Muslim CFSI Staff Members were able to work with, and in, these communities.
Both access to the population and the general security situation is expected to improve once the expectations, roles, and responsibilities of the newly established Bangsamoro Development Authority (BDA) become clear. The BDA was created by the MILF -- in accordance with the 22 June 2001 Agreement on Peace between the GRP and the MILF -- to play a lead role in rehabilitation and
development in conflict-affected areas of Mindanao. CFSI entered into dialogue with the BDA, shortly after it organized its Board of Directors in June 2002, and continues to encourage others to do likewise.
Resources
The commitment to provide, and/or the arrival of, additional resources for conflict-affected areas of Mindanao contributed to the development of a more hopeful and energized population. The Governments of Australia, Canada, the United States, Japan, and others re-affirmed their interest in the upliftment of Mindanao. Support provided through the United Nation/Multi-Donor Programme (UN-MDP) was being felt at the community level and allowed CFSI, for instance, to complement some of its World Bank-funded efforts.
The finalization and start-up of the ARMM Social Fund was widely anticipated. This five-year, World Bank-funded initiative is expected to significantly contribute to the well-being of those most directly affected by conflict. Although pilot-testing activities expected to start in July 2002 were not yet up and running at the end of this reporting period, CFSI continued to help select communities lay a strong foundation for future involvement in the ARMM Social Fund.
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