An agreement that would extend development assistance to over 20,000 households in 21 municipalities across nine provinces in Mindanao had been signed on Friday, according to the World Bank (WB).

In a statement, the bank said that the Bangsamoro Development Agency (BDA) and two civil society organizations, particularly the Community and Family Services International (CFSI), and Mindanao Land Foundation (MinLand) signed the three-year, $3-million partnership under the World Bank-led Mindanao Trust Fund-Reconstruction and Development Program (MTF-RDP) to increase access to basic services in conflict-affected areas of Mindanao.

The MTF-RDP, which started in 2006, is a $16-million multidonor facility that supports economic and social recovery, and promotes inclusive and effective governance in conflict-affected areas of Mindanao.

The program was administered by the World Bank and co-chaired by the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process and the BDA, and serves as a mechanism for international development partners to pool resources and coordinate their support for peace and development in Mindanao.

It also supports the capacity of the BDA in terms of social and economic recovery. BDA is the development arm of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and is mandated, under the 2001 Tripoli Agreement between the Philippine government and the MILF, to determine, lead and manage relief, rehabilitation and development in conflict-affected areas in Mindanao.

Moreover, the World Bank noted that last year, despite the challenges of working in conflict-affected areas, the MTF-RDP delivered services such as classrooms, health stations, access roads, water supply systems, and community centers to over 31,000 households, expanding total coverage from 62 barangays (villages) to 162 barangays in 75 municipalities.

The range of project activities was also augmented through the new community-driven reconstruction component to include private goods—core shelters, agricultural inputs and livelihood assistance—to meet the urgent needs of communities most heavily affected by displacement and conflict.

In a statement, World Bank Country Director Motoo Konishi said that he is pleased with the new partnership agreement, adding that the deal will boost social services delivery and encourage closer partnership between the government and the MILF.

“This new agreement will serve as a confidence-building measure among parties in the conflict. It will also be a vehicle to build capacity among Bangsamoro groups that is needed now and will be even more important in a post-peace agreement scenario,” he said.

Konishi added that global experience suggests that achieving and sustaining peace requires cooperation and collaboration between key stakeholders.

Supporting entities

“No single party can achieve peace on their own. By bringing the government and the MILF together, with the support of the international community, the Mindanao Trust Fund is built on the principle of cooperation. We would like to thank all the MTF partners, particularly the European Union [EU] as the largest contributor to the program,” he said.

Besides the WB and the EU, the other development partners supporting the MTF-RDP are the Australian Agency for International Development, the Canadian International Development Agency, the government of New Zealand, the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency and the United States Agency for International Development.

In addition, the World Bank also said that to ensure smooth operations and fund use, BDA is assisted under the program by CFSI, a humanitarian organization, which has been involved in reconstruction and development work in conflict-affected areas in Mindanao since 2000, and the Mindanao Land Foundation, a nongovernment organization which has been working for social cohesion building in conflict-affected communities in Mindanao since 2001.

(Original Post: https://www.manilatimes.net/index.php/business/top-business-news/24496-world-bank-extends-mindanao-development-program )