Partners sign pact for peace project in Mindanao

MALUNGON, Sarangani (July 19, 2008) – Three partners have signed up to build and repair more houses for poor communities in Mindanao.

The European Union, thru its Habitat For Humanity Philippines' (HFHP) Build for Peace in Mindanao Project, has tied up with the provincial government and the Alcantara Foundation, Inc. to establish peace and development communities (PDCs).

In a tripartite Memorandum of Agreement (MoU) signed here Tuesday (July 15), the partners aim to build communities to strengthen peace efforts in Mindanao.

"We had initial talks with the local officials in the past," project coordinator Butch Batilong said.

"We have expanded those talks through this memorandum of understanding in our aim on how we could really support the government to help the people," Batilong said.

Governor Migs Dominguez said "our aim is to bridge and connect people together in order to build lasting peace in Mindanao."

"Peace is a work in progress," the governor pointed out.

The MoU would "maximize social development for more peace and development communities (PDCs) thereby sustaining the call for peace in Mindanao."

The Kalinaw Sarangani Program identifies the PDCs where it could effectively implement holistic development programs and advocate empowerment.

HFHP implements its Build for Peace Project in these PDCs with full fund support from the European Union in terms of house construction and repair.

For its part, Alcantara Foundation, Inc. intervenes by providing capability building trainings for enterprise development of the communities and by extending educational services.

"This is a great opportunity for the foundation to extend its services to the people by transforming education from our home," said Cecile Dominguez, executive director of Alcantara Foundation, Inc..

Kalinaw Sarangani joined HFHP on its implementation of the poverty database monitoring tool to the province's PDCs.

Habitat for Humanity International was founded in 1976 by Millard Fuller and his wife Linda in Georgia, USA. Today, it has built more than 175,000 houses and provided shelter to 3,000 communities.

HFHP was established in 1988. It has built more than 15,000 houses for more than 100 communities in the country today. (Russtum G. Pelima/SARANGANI INFORMATION OFFICE)