Different civic organizations in Central Visayas convened to discuss peace-related concerns and plans with the government during the two-day Regional Conference for Peace and Development (RCPD) at the Cebu Technological University – Danao Campus in Danao City, Cebu last May 12-13.
Representatives from Indigenous Peoples (IPs), Labor, Farmer & Fisherfolk, Peasant, Youth, Women’s and Urban Poor met with some officials from the national government agencies (NGAs) and thoroughly tackled concerns that needed intervention from the government within the framework of peace and development.
Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Undersecretary Epimaco Densing III graced the second day of the activity in Danao City, where sectors presented issues and concerns to the government.
DILG Usec Marjorie Jalosjos, meanwhile, joined via Zoom. Also present were DILG-7 Regional Director Leocadio Trovela, DILG-7 Provincial Director Jhoaden Lucero, and officials from the regional line agencies.
“We heard your presentations, we heard what’s in your heart, and we heard your concerns that needed action from the government. In the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte, we listen to the people,” said Densing in his message to sector leaders and participants.
Densing stressed that the government needs participation from sectors in carrying out programs since no country would prosper without the active participation of its people.
Sector leaders and government representatives crafted action plans thru plenary and breakout rooms on the first day and presented the same on the second day.
“The primary mission of the Sectoral Unification, Capacity-Building Empowerment and Mobilization Cluster (SUCBEM) Cluster is to engage, unify, capacitate, empower and mobilize all sectors of the society to be free and resistant to infiltrations activities,” said Trovela in his opening remarks.
“With this, it is crucial to establish a genuine platform for advocacy and legitimate concerns of the sectors to effectively address gaps in governance and have an idea of what interventions and policy recommendations can help,” he added.
SUCBEM is one of the 12 clusters of the Regional Task Force on Ending Local Communist Armed Conflict (RTF-ELCAC).
RCPD was the first phase of SUCBEM flagship program for SONA Campaign Plan 2021. The next phase will be the preparatory work for the formulation of peace and development agenda that will be used for crafting the Social Reform Agenda of the Basic Sectors.
The agenda will then be proposed to be part of President Duterte’s speech in the State of the Nation Address (SONA).