The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) MIMAROPA has officially launched the PAyapa at MAsaganang PamayaNAn (PAMANA) Peace and Development Program Buong Bansa Mapayapa (PDBBM) in certain municipalities of Oriental and Occidental Mindoro simultaneously on January 2025.

Spearheaded by the PDBBM Regional Program Management Office, the launching coincided with the municipal orientation which discussed the program principles, design, and implementation timeline while emphasizing the roles and functions of Municipal Development Councils (MDCs) to ensure effective partnerships in project implementation.

Further, a key part of the activity is the presentation of the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA), which outlined the commitments and counterpart contributions of the Local Government Units (LGUs).

This also resulted in six (6) municipalities in Oriental and Occidental Mindoro formally signing the MOA to signify their full support for the implementation of the PAMANA project.

As part of the initiative, each of the eleven communities received community grants amounting to Php1,200,000.00, allocated to priority projects identified through Participatory Situational Analysis (PSA). 

The activity gathered municipal officials, community leaders, and key stakeholders, all of whom expressed their commitment to ensuring the program’s sustainability.

This year’s PAMANA program will focus on the welfare and protection of Indigenous Peoples (IPs) by creating inclusive programs and strengthening LGU partnerships to ensure long-term sustainability, target areas include isolated, hard-to-reach, and conflict-affected communities, ensuring they are not left behind in the government’s peace and development efforts.

“One of the key aspects in implementing the PAMANA Peace and Development Program is ensuring strong partnerships with NGOs and NGAs under the convergence program. It is essential that every family in the community actively participates in community-driven development discussions so that their involvement in the projects they wish to implement is recognized.” mentioned Leonardo Reynoso, CESO III, DSWD MIMAROPA Regional Director.

DSWD’s Peace and Development Buong Bansa Mapayapa (PDBBM) program is the agency’s long-term commitment to look after the welfare and livelihood of former members of various non-state groups, violent extremist groups, and adults and children in armed conflict situations.