USAID allots $70 million yearly for Mindanao

MANILA, Philippines - A total of $70 million a year has been allotted by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) for peace efforts and development in Mindanao.

Elzadia Washington, USAID deputy mission director, said mediation is important in resolving conflicts in the Philippines and various other countries.

“Our budget is $70 million a year that the US government provides to Mindanao,” she said.

“We are focused on education, environment, energy, health, governance type of program.”

Speaking to participants in the Barangay Justice Advocates Congress yesterday, Washington said the US government also allocated a little more than $2 million for the two-year Barangay Justice Program jointly initiated by the USAID and the Gerry Roxas Foundation.

“If you can reduce conflict among neighbors, within families, within political rivalry systems, you have minimized the potential for violent conflicts and the Barangay Justice Advocates can actually come in and help resolve issues before they become violent,” she said.

“It is a way of minimizing violence within the Mindanao communities.”

Washington said that she used the “mediation” approach in resolving conflict in her family during the death of her grandmother recently.

“My grandmother had 12 children,” she said.

“She has 100 acres of land and she has bank accounts with money. The first problem was who must be invited… The in-laws create a lot of problems. So we decided, all in-laws were invited to prevent a conflict.

“Land will not be separated, that we need to appoint a trustee… I’m the mediator in my family. I used the mediation approach and it works.”

Washington said conflict in families in conflict-affected areas worsen the situation and make the chance to have a lasting peace very slim.

“There will never be sustainable peace and security without resolving family conflict. Sustainability depends on all of you.”

Washington said it is important that the government addresses conflict among neighbors and within the family.

Washington said the vision of USAID is to have peace and development in Mindanao.

“We are hoping there is a judicial system that will also function,” she said.

“We have to have two simultaneous systems. You have the community justice system, but you also need a legal judicial system that works as well. So, the two have to function if you want to bring about sustainable security and peace in Mindanao.”

Washington, who has been in the country for more than three years, interact with people in Tawi-Tawi, Saranggani and Cotabato provinces.

Gerry Porta, USAID senior management specialist, said USAID is also working on a judicial system on small claims court.

“It is part of the rule of law program,” he said.

“We support programs for judicial reform. I think USAID has the largest grant to the Supreme Court. A lot of programs basically support three objectives – judicial efficiency under which the small claims court is a major component, then you have the judicial integrity and finally broadening access to justice.

“We could argue that this program is broadening access to justice,” he said.

Presidential adviser on the peace process Teresita Deles said she supports the Barangay Justice Advocates.

“We are supporting it because it is a major boost to the Aquino administration’s peace effort, particularly in Mindanao,” she said.