Ten Towns Recipients to UNDP Peace Program

Ten Towns Recipients to UNDP Peace Program
The towns of Ayungon, Manjuyod, Mabinay, Pamplona, Siaton, Sta. Catalina, Basay, Valencia, Canlaon, and Guihulngan are subjected as target areas for development in line with the government’s continuing peace program, reveals Leah Abines of the Department of Local and Interior Government in Region 7.
Abines said that these towns were able to meet the criteria set by the Local Government Unit to in order to qualify for the United Nations Development Program (UNDP)- conflict Prevention and Peace Program which is only practiced in the region. She further said that the set of beneficiaries are funded by the UNDP itself which makes it different from the former local government units that were covered by the national government’s peace program.
The recipients were heavily scrutinized as the criteria requires high receptiveness of the LGUs to the peace program, conflict- affected barangays based on the recommendations made by various agencies involved in the peace process, and high motivation among LGU officials and functionaries in the supporting project.
According to Nestor Faburada, from the Reform and Peace Movement in the Philippines in Negros Oriental, not all areas identified as recipients of the development projects has benefited from the government, contrary to what the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process had claimed.