TABUK CITY, Kalinga – The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG)- Kalinga, during the orientation on Capacitating Urban Communities for Peace and Development (CUCPD) on August 7, assured that inclusive and sustainable peace is possible through convergence and collaboration among all stakeholders at the local level.
Michelle Gallema, Local Government Operations Officer of DILG-Kalinga said insurgencies, internal disturbances and tensions, armed conflicts and threats are not only military and security concerns, but symptomatic of broader social, economic and historical problems.
Gallema explained that the CUCPD, a program that utilizes a sectoral-based approach to identify the real and most urgent needs of the most vulnerable sectors of society, upscales governance in order to achieve peace and development by bridging leadership and harnessing opportunities.
There is a need to address the root cause of insurgency and other armed conflicts to prioritize the government’s delivery of basic services and social welfare packages, facilitate societal inclusivity and ensure the active participation of different sectors, she said.
Her discussion also dealt on the eight principles of positive peace which defines peace beyond the absence of conflict and violence. These principles are well-functioning government, equitable distribution of resources, free flow of information, good relations with neighbors, high level of human capital, acceptance of the rights of others, low level of corruption, and sound business environment.
According to Gallema, sectoral groups need to be involved in peace and development efforts. These sectors include the youth and students, labor sector, urban poor sector, and women sector.
After the orientation, Planning Officer Baldo Garnace of the City Planning and Development Office presented the accomplishments, challenges and strategies in the implementation of the CUCPD concerning the sector of women, solo parents, youth and children, and urban poor.
DILG Kalinga Provincial Director Anthony Manolo Ballug emphasized in his opening message that the whole-of-nation approach is necessary in attaining inclusive and sustainable peace, and everyone in the government and private sectors and the civil society organizations must work and participate for the general welfare to enhance peace and order, and sustain development programs. By Darwin S. Serion
