Mindanao Natin Overview

A. Background/Rationale

During PGMA’s inauguration as the President of the Republic of the Philippines last 30 June 2004, she presented her 10-Point Legacy Agenda which serve as the framework of the government’s continuing effort towards peace and development. The 10-Point Legacy agenda are as follows:

1. Creation of 6 million new jobs within six years
2. Education for all children of school-age, computers for our schools and scholarship for the poor
3. Balanced budget
4. Decentralized development
5. Electricity and water for all barangays nationwide
6. Decongestion of Metro Manila
7. Development of Clark and Subic as international service and logistics center in the Southeast Asian region
8. Full computerization of the electoral process
9. Just conclusion to the government’s peace process
10. A just closure of the divisive issues of EDSA 1, 2 and 3

PGMA’s Legacy Agenda #9

PGMA’s Legacy Agenda #9, which is a just conclusion of the government’s peace process, aims to accomplish two (2) tasks, to wit:

1. Peacemaking and Peacekeeping, which aims to reduce the level of violence and permanently end the internal armed conflict with all insurgent groups. This task includes the following targets:

a. Continuation and conclusion of peace talks with various rebel groups
b. Complementary measures to reduce the level of violence arising from the internal armed conflicts
c. Completion of implementation of existing peace agreements
d. Enhance amnesty/ reconciliation and rehabilitation program for former rebels/ combatants

2. Peace-building and Conflict Prevention, which aims to remove major sources of grievance, transform conflict affected communities into peace and development areas and heal the social wounds brought about by long drawn internal armed conflict. The following are the major elements of this task:

a. Rehabilitation and development of conflict areas
b. Catch-up development program for ARMM and affirmative action agenda for Muslims
c. Community-based inter-faith dialogue, healing and reconciliation programs

B. Reformulated Mindanao Natin

Under the present government’s guidelines on peace and development, the Mindanao Natin Program¹ shall become a component under Legacy Agenda #9 to support the task on Peace Building and Conflict Prevention. Hence, the following were the agreed reformulated components of Mindanao Natin:

Reformulated Components	Original Components
1. Implementation of RA9054 in support to the 1996 GRP-MNLF Peace Agreement	1. Substantial Implementation of the 1996 GRP-MNLF Peace Agreement
2. Rehabilitation and Development of Conflict-Affected Areas	2. Comprehensive Rehabilitation Program on the Clusters of Pikit-Pagalungan-Pagagawan and Carmen-Pres. Roxas-Damulog; and the Triple SB (Siocon, Sirawan, Sibuco, Baliguian) 3. Fielding of "SALAM" soldiers to assist DSWD and NAPC on KALAHI, KALAHI-CIDDS, MBN and Psycho-Social and Medico Civic Services
3. Health Development
4. Education Development	4. Distance Learning Program through Mobile Techno-vans, Demand Driven Skills Training and Scholarship Program
5. Livelihood Support and SME Development	5. Livelihood Support Through Micro and SME Credit
6. Land Tenure Improvement	6. Establishment of One-Stop Action Centers for Land Documentation and Land Titling Programs
7. Agri-Aqua Development
8. Operationalization of the Regional Economic Zone (REZA)
9. Infrastructure Development for Inter-Connectivity	7. Implement community-scale quick gestation infrastructure projects
10. Conduct of Healing, Reconciliation and Reintegration Programs	8. Youth and Culture-Sensitive Programs on Sports, Arts and Entertainment
	9. Implementation of rebel returnees program focused on values formation
	10. Prioritization and Fast Tracking of Ongoing ODA-funded projects

The program shall cover the conflict-affected and potential conflict areas in Mindanao with special attention to the ARMM.

Oversight Agencies/Inter-Agency Level

1. The Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP) in close coordination with the Mindanao Economic Development Council (MEDCo) serves as the oversight agency and provides overall policy guidance and strategic directions for the implementation of Mindanao Natin Program.
2. All Mindanao Natin coordination and monitoring activities are facilitated by the MEDCo Secretariat with the concerned government agencies providing assistance to conflict affected and potential conflict areas in Mindanao. 
3. OPAPP, as Chairperson of Mindanao Natin, in coordination with MEDCo, the Co-Chair and Secretariat of the program, convenes regular (semestral) Inter-Agency meetings for updating purposes, direction setting and issue resolution (for outstanding issues not addressed at the Agency Cluster meetings). OPAPP and MEDCo may also convene Territorial/Regional Cluster meetings for updating and issue resolution purposes.

Agency Clusters

1. Concerned agencies are clustered and organized based on the 10 components of the Reformulated Mindanao Natin. The Agency Clusters are responsible for the coordination, implementation, and monitoring of specific activities/interventions supportive of the identified 10-Point Program of the Mindanao Natin.
2. The agency clusters serve as the venue for the resolution of issues and concerns encountered by member agencies in the implementation of their projects on the ground. Issues/Concerns that may not be resolved at this level are forwarded to the MEDCo Secretariat for discussion during Thematic Cluster Meetings, Chaired by either OPAPP or MEDCo.
3. Each Agency Cluster is composed of designated Mindanao Natin Coordinators coming from each of the concerned agencies. The Mindanao Natin Coordinators are expected to closely coordinate and function as agency point persons for all projects and programs of their respective offices in Mindanao, especially on projects and programs related to the Mindanao Natin.
4. A lead agency for each cluster is headed by a Mindanao Focal Person, who is either holding an Undersecretary or Assistant Secretary rank to handle the following responsibilities:


• Lead, coordinate, convene, and facilitate the planning of their respective cluster in order to come up with common directions, objectives, and work plan relative to the implementation of their assigned component;
• Monitor and consolidate the plans and accomplishments of the cluster;
• Report updates on the cluster’s accomplishments especially during the conduct of Inter-Agency Meetings; and
• Recommend actions to be taken on issues and concerns during project implementation.
• In cases where a lead agency is also a member of another agency cluster, the Mindanao Focal Person shall also ensure their agency’s participation in the other agency clusters.


5. The Agency Clusters are encouraged to meet at least once every two months or to conduct special meetings, as the need arises, to keep track of their accomplishments vis-à-vis the work plan. All Agency Cluster reports shall be submitted to MEDCo for consolidation as inputs to the overall Mindanao Natin report to be submitted to the President.



Agency Clusters

Agency Clusters	Program Components
OPAPP (lead) AFP ORG-ARMM RPDO-ARMM ODA-ARMM	1. Full Implementation of RA9054 in Support to the 1996 GRP-MNLF Peace Agreement The component involves current initiatives, programs and projects which will support the full implementation of RA 9054 as well as the provisions in the 1996 GRP-MNLF Peace Agreement.
DSWD (lead) NAPC DA DepEd DILG DND-NDCC DOE DOH DPWH AFP-Eng’g Brigades DILG-ARMM DSWD-ARMM RPDO-ARMM	2. Rehabilitation and Development of Conflict-Affected Areas The component involves current initiatives, programs and projects that will address the following relief and rehabilitation needs of affected families in the conflict-affected and potential conflict areas in Mindanao: Provision of shelter assistance Provision of health and nutrition Rehabilitation / construction of community facilities (e.g. day care centers, barangay health stations, water systems, multi-purpose halls, school buildings, farm implements, livelihood support, etc.) Provision of peace literacy and psycho-social interventions Provision of community-scale quick gestation infrastructure projects (e.g. bridges, farm-to-market roads, solar driers, etc.)
DOH (lead) DOH-ARMM MHDO PhilHealth PopCom RPDO-ARMM	3. Health Development The component will primarily focus on the improvement of the delivery of health services in the conflict affected areas, particularly on the implementation of Health Reforms in the target areas. This component will also contribute to the relief and rehabilitation efforts in the target areas like, among others: Provision of Barangay Health Stations Provision of hospital equipment and supplies Training of health service providers Reduction of Diseases, etc.
DepEd (lead) TESDA CHED DOST DSWD DepEd-ARMM CHED-ARMM RPDO-ARMM	4. Education Development The component aims to improve the quality and increase access to education in the conflict-affected areas. Activities involve, among others: Rehabilitation / construction of school buildings Provision of education facilities (textbooks, laboratory equipment, desks/chairs, etc.) Development of Madrasah Education and education curriculum for IPs Trainings for teachers Conduct of literacy and non-formal education Provision of ITC equipment to schools as aid to education development Distance learning and scholarship programs Provision of Peace Literacy This component will also contribute to the relief and rehabilitation efforts in the target areas.
DTI (lead) NLSF DA DOLE TLRC TESDA LBP CDA SBGFC DBP QUEDANCOR PCFC DOST NAPC DSWD DAF-ARMM RPDO-ARMM DTI-ARMM NCIP	5. Livelihood Support and SME Development This component shall pursue the following sub-components Livelihood Support - Target beneficiaries are mass-based groups that are loosely organized. Assistance may come in the form of provision of production inputs, provision of financial assistance as well as capacity building, training and community organizing to improve the target beneficiaries’ living conditions. This sub-component will also contribute to the relief and rehabilitation efforts in the target areas. SME Development - This sub-component is particularly concerned on providing the micro, small and medium enterprises with the needed business development services that may come in the form of marketing assistance, training and advisory services, access to market information, technology and alternative fund sources, as well as the provision of a policy environment conducive to the growth of businesses. Focus on this sub-component will be on business development services that are geared towards the processing or value-adding commodities.
DLR (lead) NCIP DENR OSCC-ARMM DENR-ARMM DLR-ARMM ARMM-RPDO DOJ LRA-ROD DARAB	6. Land Tenure Development The component on Land Tenure Improvement was formulated to address claims on land and resolve existing conflict in land claims. This component particularly includes land tenure improvement programs of the concerned agencies that will identify land ownership and facilitate the generation of land titles. This shall also include the establishment of One-Stop Action Center for Titling Assistance for Muslim Minorities.
DA (lead) DAF-ARMM DOST NIA CHED-ARMM QUEDANCOR RPDO-ARMM OMA DTI-ARMM LBP	7. Agri-Aqua Development This component was formulated along with the effort to transform Mindanao as the country’s agri-fishery export zone and the Halal-based food production and processing zone. With this, the island’s agricultural and fishery production centers shall be linked cost-effectively through the provision of adequate transport and communications services and infrastructures. Assistance shall also come in the form of the following: Production Support Services Irrigation Development Credit Facilitation Other Infrastructure and Post-Harvest Facilities Extension, Education and Training Research and Development Market Development Services Regulatory Information and Communication Policy Formulation Farm to market roads
DTI-ARMM (lead) DTI DBM DOF RPDO-ARMM RLA ORG	8. Operationalization of the Regional Economic Zone Authority (REZA) The REZA law, which was passed under the leadership of the former ARMM Regional Governor Parouk S. Hussin, is considered a milestone for the ARMM as it sets the regulatory and legal framework for investments in the region. This component was particularly fromulated to support the implementation of “The ARMM Special Economic Zone Act of 2003,” which created the Regional Economic Zone Authority to oversee the establishment and operations of special economic zones, industrial estates, and export processing zones in the ARMM. The said report is targeted to DTI-ARMM, which functions as the REZA in the transition period, to explore and launch pilot economic zones, which may range from industrial-type estates, which require huge development incentives, to municipal or even barangay level free zones. The implementation of Polloc, Parang, Maguindanao as an ecozone, as desiganted by the Philippine Special Economic Zone Act of 1995 (RA 7916) is also covered under the component.
DPWH (lead) DOE DOTC DPWH-ARMM DOTC-ARMM RPDO-ARMM DOST DAR DA	9. Infrastructure Development for Inter-Connectivity Infrastructure Development for Connectivity is crucial in the efforts of peace and development. It encourages the entry of investors and provides an efficient means to deliver basic services to the communities The component involves the following: Land Transport Development which includes roads and bridges Improvement of Water Transport System which includes the development of ports and equipping the ports with RORO ramp facilities Improvement of Air Transport System Enhancement of Telecommunications Services Power Sector Projects ICT Physical infrastructure
OPAPP (lead) DSWD NYC NCCA OMA OSCC NCIP RPDO-ARMM CSOs	10. Conduct of Healing, Reconciliation, and Reintegration Programs The component involves the conduct of culture-sensitive programs, fora, seminars particularly those involving the youth which promote culture of peace and reconciliation. This component also contributes to the relief and rehabilitation efforts in the target areas.



6. Thematic Cluster meetings may be convened by OPAPP or MEDCo to monitor the status of implementation and act on cross-cutting and inter-related issues that may not be resolved at the agency cluster level.




Thematic Clusters

Thematic Clusters	Components
GRP-MNLF Peace Agreement	Component 1
Rehab and Development	Component 2,3,4,7,9
Livelihood	Component 5,7,8
Land Tenure	Component 6
Healing, Reconciliation and Reintegration	Component 10



7. A Technical Working Group on Information, Education, and Communications (IEC) shall be created composed of OPS, PIA, OPAPP, MEDCo Secretariat, and BPI-ARMM.

• Download the Full Mindanao Natin Briefer (as of November 17, 2005)