PHILJAFA-ARMM Advocacy Program Concepts

February 22, 2009

ADVOCACY PROGRAM CONCEPTS

  

General Statement

 

To find relevance for its existence, PhilJaFA-ARMM thought of actively involving itself in such critical advocacy areas as the peace process, the environment, building goodwill between Japan and the ARMM in terms of cultural and educational exchange programs and in such other areas that promote this concept such as learning the Niponggo and embarking on research ventures that serve the interest of the Association and JICA in terms of acquisition of first-hand data and information.

 

PhilJaFA-ARMM operates at the center of the conflicted-affected areas in Central Mindanao, South of the Philippines. The Association is composed of people who are experts in their own fields and coming from multi-disciplinary background. Individually and collectively, it has almost all the competence required for the development of the ARMM region.

 

Given the realities above, the Association feels that it cannot overstress its importance as one of the development partners of the ARMM and JICA in the region. Henceforth, PhilJaFA-ARMM commits itself to active involvement in the following advocacy programs:

  

I. The Peace Process

 

Peace is never more wanting in any area of the country than in Central Mindanao and its environs. This is the reason why NGOs/CSOs in Mindanao who would want to find relevance or reason for existence always find themselves getting involved in the peace process. PhilJaFA thinks along the same line and will now seek membership in some, if not all, peace advocacy groups in Mindanao such as the Mindanao People’s Caucus for Peace and make itself available to participate in peace dialogues, symposia, caucuses and the like.

 

The idea is to send one or two representatives of the Association to peace dialogues, symposia, caucuses and contribute to the efforts and inputs towards achieving a just, humane and peaceful settlement to the so-called Mindanao problem.

 

Prior to this, the Association shall hold a series of small group discussions to generate the required inputs and synthesize them at the level of the Board of Trustees and Executive Officers. These inputs shall be reviewed from time to time depending on the dynamics of the peace process. Towards this goal, we think that we are better situated and we have some plus factors considering that some of us have direct links with some of the members of both (GRP & MILF) panels as well as the OPAPP and the Institute for Bangsamoro Studies.

2. The Environment 

Under this aspect, the Association shall study and document critical environment issues and packaged them into project concepts that will capture, among others, the required interventions, both short-term and long-term. This will be sent to the concerned public and private institutions, local and foreign-based, one of them would be the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) so that they can take more concrete initiatives. The Association’s role may just be the whistle-blower and dramatize the need for the concerned institutions to take action.

 

Examples of these critical environmental concerns are the following: (a) the unabated siltation at the mouth of the Rio Grande de Mindanao vis-a-vis the Moro Gulf threatening the fish habitat in the area, (2) the destructive effects of flash-flooding in Maguindanao and North Cotabato, (3) the continued dumping of harmful wastes into rivers, creeks and other bodies of water, and a lot more.

  

3. Participation in Commemorative Events in the ARMM

 

As a matter of cooperation and establishing visibility, the Association shall participate in all commemorative events celebrated in the ARMM such as the Shariff Kabunsuan Day, the ARMM Day, and other cultural and religious events. We shall also lobby with the Regional Legislative Assembly and the Japanese Embassy to identify a significant date that will mark the Japan-ARMM Friendship Day. This is to give tribute to the many significant contributions that the Japanese government has extended to the ARMM through various efforts, either directly through the Japanese Embassy, JICA or other institutions and mechanisms.

  

4. Survey/Research Ventures

 

It has become some sort of a standard operating procedure that all programs and projects of JICA are almost always preceded by researches, surveys or evaluative assessments. We shall ask the JICA to provide us with its proposed or pipelined programs and projects in the ARMM. Whenever we feel that it is within the competence of the Association to undertake the research, study or assessment, we shall express our intent to undertake the same, otherwise, we might just as well be able to connect JICA to the right institution.

 

The other option is PhilJaFA-ARMM shall package the technical proposal based on the terms of reference and the undertaking shall be managed by the Association.

  

Prepared by:

 

                                       MAUGAN P. MOSAID

      (Ph.D. in Rural Development)

                                    Member, Board of Trustees