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Usaid admin attends big ADB meet

Tuesday, 08 May 2012 00:00

US Agency for International Development (Usaid) deputy administrator Donald Steinberg was in the country from May 3-5 as part of the US delegation to the Asian Development Bank's (ADB) 45th Annual Meeting of the Board of Governors. During the annual meeting, Steinberg participated in a Development Partners Session where he shared insights on recent changes in global aid architecture and its implications for development cooperation in Asia. While in the Philippines, Steinberg also formally launched Usaid's Cities Development Initiative (CDI), an integral part of the US-Philippines Partnership for Growth. CDI takes a unique and cross-cutting approach to promoting inclusive growth in strategically selected cities that include Iloilo, Cagayan de Oro, and Batangas.

Steinberg, together with Usaid/Philippines Mission director Gloria Steele, also signed bilateral agreements with the Philippine government to affirm Usaid's support for PFG and continued support for Mindanao development and assistance for conflict-affected areas. The PFG mobilizes the resources of both governments to address the most serious constraints to economic growth and development in the Philippines. The initiative will help the Philippines move to a higher, sustained and more inclusive growth trajectory in line with other high-performing emerging economies.

Steinberg provides overall direction and management for Usaid. He is also engaged in the integration and mainstreaming of gender and disabilities into Usaid, and enhanced dialogue with development partners, including civil society, business, foreign donors, international institutions, Congress, and other US government agencies. He previously served as deputy president for policy at International Crisis Group, where he directed policy, advocacy, and repor ting for this nonprofit organization seeking to prevent, contain and resolve deadly conflict.

In his nearly 30 years with the US government, he served as Director of the State Department's Joint Policy Council, Deputy White House Press Secretar y, National Security Council Senior Director for African Affairs, Special Haiti Coordinator, US Ambassador to Angola, and Special Representative of the President for Humanitarian Demining. Other diplomatic postings included officer-in-charge at the US Embassy in Pretoria, South Africa, Mauritius, Brazil, Malaysia and the Central African Republic.

Study shows impact of conflict in C. Mindanao

Monday, 07 May 2012 00:00

CYCLES of violent conflict in Central Mindanao have resulted in the mass displacement of nearly a million people from their homes over the past 12 years. In 2003, tens of thousands were displaced by armed conflict and, more recently, thousands of families had to leave their homes yet again when fighting escalated in parts of Zamboanga Sibugay and Basilan in October 2011. Currently, several thousand people across Mindanao remain displaced, par ticularly in Maguindanao. Disrupting livelihoods are presenting major challenges to both affected families and the government, these concerns do not necessarily end with the return of displaced individuals to their places of origin, a study by the World Bank (WB) and the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) during a launch at the Human Development and Pover ty Reduction Cabinet Cluster revealed.

The survey, conducted in the last quarter of 2010, interviewed 2,759 randomly selected households from a total of 231 barangays across five provinces - Lanao del Sur and Maguindanao in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (Armm), as well as Lanao del Norte, North Cotabato and Sultan Kudarat. The study-"Violent Conflicts and Displacement in Central Mindanao: Challenges for Recovery and Development"-- reveals that four in every 10 households in the surveyed areas experienced displacement from 2000 to 2010, with one in five displaced two or more times, and one in 10 forced to leave their homes up to five times during this period. Displacement is detrimental to livelihoods, welfare and social cohesion across virtually every key indicator: food security, access to basic services, income poverty and housing, the study found. Social Welfare Secretary Dinky Soliman welcomed the report's "important insights on the inter-related dimensions of conflict, displacement and economic growth" in Central Mindanao. "The data provides a basis that will allow the relevant departments of government and other development partners to offer targeted recovery and render extensive development support in affected areas, especially in the most vulnerable households," she said.

Teresita Quintos-Deles, head of the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (Opapp), also lauded the study, finding the report a "very relevant guide" in government efforts to address the needs of conflictaffected communities under the current Payapa at Masaganang Pamayanan (Pamana) program. "It is also important that interventions under Pamana be based on detailed knowledge of livelihood opportunities and access to Land, credit availability and food supply. These indicators vary from place to place," Deles noted. For his part, World Bank Country Director Motoo Konishi observed that the report sheds considerable light on the nature and extent of vulnerability across provinces, population categories, and livelihood groups in affected areas. "It can shape the operational choices of humanitarian, recovery and development agencies and improve outcomes for the population on the ground," he said.

WFP Representative and Country Director Stephen Anderson meanwhile said the study would help agencies like WFP "better target food assistance as well as help communities strengthen their resilience to conflict and natural disasters." Anderson noted that "the two Armm provinces in Central Mindanao - Maguindanao and Lanao del Sur - suffer the highest levels of food insecurity. This is exacerbated by high levels of exposure to shocks, such as recurrent flooding and crop disease that make people poorer and more food insecure." Looking at the vulnerability of communities in Central Mindanao, the study found that households experiencing displacement have been "frequently exposed to violence." Movements of armed military and rebel groups were cited by 29 percent of the surveyed households as one primary cause of their displacement, while nine percent blamed it on clan conflict or rido. The report said that host families also feel the pressures of displacement from additional financial costs. Some host families, usually relatives, "had to resort to selling goods or assets to provide food and support" for the displaced people they were hosting.

Of the areas surveyed, Maguindanao accounted for the highest degree of vulnerability, with about 82 percent of all households in the area affected by displacement due not only to violent conflict but also to weatherrelated disasters. These displacements represented the two poorest wealth quintiles, where households suffered the highest levels of food insecurity and the lowest incomes. When asked to identify their top priorities, surveyed households ranked money, employment, food, health and Education, in that order. Respondents called for government attention to these basic needs, as well as the construction of roads and the need of electricity. Respondents also identified economic development, the signing of a peace agreement and ending impunity as critical interventions The DSWD and Opapp, in partnership with the World Bank and WFP, plan to disseminate the results of this study through a series of presentations in various fora in Manila and Mindanao.

WFP, firm tie up for big Mindanao meals project

Monday, 07 May 2012 00:00

THE United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has raised P400 thousand for a meals program for thousands of children in central Mindanao with the help of Unilever Food Solutions through its "Sandwich Heroes" campaign. The UFS donation will allow WFP to feed 40 thousand children under its School meals program in conflict-affected areas of central Mindanao, particularly in Maguindanao, Lanao del Sur and Lanao del Norte. WFP Philippines representative and country director Stephen Anderson said the funds will help WFP and its government counterparts, the Department of Social Welfare and Development and the Depar tment of Education, provide hot nutritious meals for the children in remote, conflictaffected areas.

Thirteen restaurants took part in UFS' pioneering project, which involved each restaurant offering their signature or best sandwiches for the campaign. UFS made a donation to WFP for each featured sandwich sold from October 2011 to January 2012. The firm has contributed to WFP and its fight against hunger in the Philippines since 2008. Globally, it has been a WFP corporate par tner since December 2006, donating a total of US$17.7 million to support WFP's work around the world.

Women’s group decries arrest of health worker in Dipolog

Monday, 07 May 2012 00:00

AS eight of the 43 health workers collectively known as the "Morong 43" filed torture and other violations pertaining to their arrest and detention, another staff of a communitybased health program of a Lumad organization in Dipolog City was arrested over a week ago. According to reports from the Karapatan regional chapter, Helen Igloria, a communitybased health worker, was arrested last April 25 in her residence by almost 20 police officers and soldiers. "The Miranda rights were not read to Igloria nor was she informed of or subpoenaed on the trumped up charges against her. These are clear violations of the rights of arrested persons. This is a clear indication that the policy and practice of filing fabricated cases against women human rights defenders continues under the Aquino administration, contrar y to claims by the government that the human rights situation has 'improved' under Pnoy's watch," said Cristina Palabay, spokesperson of Tanggol Bayi. Igloria, 56, is the administrative officer of the Kusog sa Katawhang Lumad sa Mindanao (Kalumaran) health program since 1990 and is also one of the founding members of Gabriela-Zamboanga del Norte chapter. She also suffers from hypertension.

She is now currently detained at the Tangub Bureau of Jail Management and Penology Jail on alleged trumped up charges of murder with direct assault. She is the latest among 32 women political prisoners arrested and are still currently detained under the Aquino government. Tanggol Bayi is an association of women human rights defenders to advance women's rights as human rights.