Peace, security assembly signatories monitored

CEBU, Philippines - The National Security Council (NSC) has conducted an initial monitoring of the agencies in Region-7 that have signed their commitment to the Local Peace and Security Assembly (LPSA) in August 2007.

The participating government instrumentalities, which have taken part in the creation of a resolution with provisions aiming to attain local peace and development, recently attended the workshop and meeting with Assistant Director General of NSC Carlos Tabunda who thoroughly checked on the specific activities the agencies have done after the LPSA.

Tabunda said that the NSC is planning to conduct its actual monitoring of the agencies after they are able to identify primary activities that will define in specific terms the LPSA commitments of local participants and the national government.

During the LPSA, he added that teams per region only passed resolutions with provisions that are abstract or general in form that only made it hard for them to look for indicators. The NSC, as a monitoring body, needs specific activities that would measure their commitment.

The meeting that was held last February 11 was conducted for five purposes, which were to identify specific activities and set time frames and targets for the implementation of the selected primary activities.

Also, they agreed on which primary activities can become the flagship project of LPSA and tried to establish a monitoring and evaluation system in the region to be kept abreast of LPSA commitments and selected flagship projects.

Tabunda said that based on what transpired during the LPSA in 2007, the main concern of Region-7 is the security. Other regions like Region IV-A focused on human rights, Region IV-B on environmental concerns and Region III on socio economic concerns.

Proof of this is the resolution passed by the Central Visayas team which mainly talked on committing to prevent the return of insurgency in the region and promote cooperation and coordination within the local government and the community in attaining peace, security and development.

Central Visayas also included in their resolution the replication and propagation nationwide of the Bohol experience which showed that localized civilian-led peace, security and development efforts can drive insurgents away from conflict-affected areas and encourage them to return in the mainstream society.

After determining indicators, the NSC will start its actual monitoring probably on April this year. Each region will be required to report quarterly said Tabunda, adding that as much as possible, all activities will be conducted by the end of this year.

He commended Region-7 for being responsive to the initiatives of the national government. He said he is glad that Central Visayas already has its existing programs that should be strongly implemented and disseminated to other regions. — Jessica Ann R. Pareja/WAB   (THE FREEMAN)