Antipolo city: The Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity (OPAPRU) has conducted a training program for 70 former rebels, aimed at enhancing their skills in drafting effective and gender-responsive project proposals for their communities.
According to Philippines News Agency, the training took place from March 3 to 6 in Antipolo City, Rizal, under the guidance of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People's Army-National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF) Peace Process Office within OPAPRU's Local Conflict Transformation Cluster. The former rebels, hailing from various parts of the country, were organized into 'special project teams' to act as agents of peace and development, thereby aiding in the implementation of the government's Transformation Program.
Throughout the training, participants identified key issues impacting their communities, such as poverty, the necessity for farm-to-market roads, and the challenges involved in rebuilding relationships with families and communities after years of armed struggle. The program also included team-building sessions to promote solidarity and cooperation among the participants.
OPAPRU emphasized the goal of the activity was to improve the technical capacity of former rebels to design practical, meaningful, and fundable community projects that align with the peace and development priorities of their people's organizations and communities. Presidential Assistant Wilben Mayor highlighted the importance of empowering former rebels to create viable project proposals, noting that it is crucial for advancing community-driven transformation.
Mayor also stressed the need to incorporate gender and development in peacebuilding efforts, asserting that sustainable peace requires inclusive participation from all sectors. 'Ensuring that our projects are gender-responsive recognizes the unique experiences, contributions, and challenges faced by women, men, and other sectors in conflict-affected communities. In doing so, we create programs that are fair, inclusive, and capable of bringing real change,' he stated.
