By: Irma A. Guhit
SORSOGON CITY, OCTOBER 5 (PIA)… Aileen P. Jose, coordinator for Luzon of the Office of the Presidential Advisory for the Peace Process (OPAPP) in a meeting held here yesterday at the Sorsogon Provincial Management Office (SPMO) presented the Payapa at Masaganang Pamayanan (PaMaNa) Sorsogon Convergence Unit Framework Draft Policy and presented the programs and projects under this program, an agenda for peace and development of the province, specifically for the members to review comment and finalize.
Former governor Sally Ante-Lee in the briefing, enjoined all the members of the regional technical working group composed of the identified member agencies together with its provincial counterpart to become a convergent group who will provide the essence and synergy for the implementation of the projects and programs converging their mandated functions.
National Economic Development Authority RO V representative Rosemarie O. Buan, presented the Regional Development Council (RDC) Resolution No. 26, S of 2011, drafted last August 26, 2011 at Legaspi City during the RDC meeting creating a Sorsogon PaMaNa Convergence Unit (SPCU) as the peace building initiative of the province , serve as development arm for conflict affected areas and to develop resilient communities.
According to Buan, the RDC sees the need for convergence interventions of the different agencies in environment, agriculture, agrarian reform, social welfare, peace and security agencies to effectively complement and harness services and funds in the implementation of the peace agenda of the government.
Through the resolution, OPAPP and the Provincial Government of Sorsogon have entered into a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) together with the seven identified municipalities namely: Pto. Diaz, Gubat, Barcelona, Irosin, Juban, Magallanes and Casiguran ,recipients of the programs and projects under the PaMaNa to insure its effective implementation.
The SPCU according to Col. Felix Castro, Jr. of the 903rd Infantry Brigade of the Philippine Army will hopefully become a model for peace and development building strategy in conflict affected areas and ensure that programs and projects under the peace keeping efforts of government be properly implemented.
Under the draft policy of the SPCU, beneficiaries should be better served and assisted. Converging agencies identified under the program should complement, cooperate and facilitate for the easy implementation of the programs and projects with OPAPP to serve as the team leader.
A total of P30M will be released to the province through the different identified agencies implementing the program for the PaMaNa 2011 projects.
For Casiguran , approved project under PaMaNa is the improvement of the Farm to Market Road (FMR) in far flung barangays considered critical areas with 1,000 m concrete paving to cover the Bgys. Of Tiris, Bactolan, San Ramon and Burgos to be implemented by the Casiguran LGU. Department of Agriculture , Departement of Agrarian Reform(DAR) and the Department of Public Works and Highways in the amount of P3M.
For the local government of Irosin is the Establishment of Eco-tourism Center costing P2M and the concreting of the Buenavista-San Isidro Batang Road in the amount of P2.5M to be implemented by Irosin LGU, Department of Tourism(DOT) and DPWH.
For Magallanes will be the Improvement of the Parola Beach, Improvement of Bucal-Bucalan Spring, improvement of Sta. Lourdes Grotto costing P5M to be implemented by the LGU of Magallanes, DOT and DPWH.
Juban will receive P4M for the Marine Reserve Sanctuary Development Project,(PhaseI) and the concrete paving of Brgy. Tublijon-Sipaya road.
Pto Diaz will receive P3M for the concreting of the 560M x4M FMR for Bry. Cogon to San Rafael to be implemented by DA, DPWH and the local government of Pto. Diaz.
For the LGU of Barcelona a P2.8M of the FMR for Brgy. San Isidro will also be implemented through the DPWH, DA and Barcelona LGU.
The LGU of Gubat will also receive a P4M for the FMR, a tourism building to be implemented by the DOT,DPWH and the LGU of Gubat.
A proposed livelihood project for the whole province is still being considered in the amount of P3.7 to benefit the tourism development and Bayong making project specially for the out of school youth and identified marginalized sectors in the province. (PIA-Sorsogon)