Statement of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Jesus Dureza on CPP/NPA/NDF’s cancellation of unilateral ceasefire

We are dismayed with the announcement of New People's Army (NPA) spokesman Ka Oris withdrawing their unilateral ceasefire effective February 10.

This cancellation came just after some progress we made in the 3rd round of peace talks in Rome where negotiating panels from both sides agreed to further discuss a bilateral ceasefire in The Netherlands sometime end of this month. 

We respect their decision.

On the part of the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP), we will respectfully recommend to President Rodrigo R. Duterte that the government continues to maintain and uphold the unilateral ceasefire to sustain the peace in the communities where our people desire to live in peace. This will provide an enabling and conducive environment to the on-going peace talks. At the same, we will recommend that government forces continue to be relentless in their campaign to protect the civilians from harm and terrorism.

We agree that the situation, with various incidents on the ground, had become untenable to sustain without the guidelines and protocols that a bilateral ceasefire provides.

This gives more impetus and encouragement to our earnest task of forging a sustainable ceasefire agreement.

Despite these, however, we are still hopeful that the search for peace will continue and the tragedy of Filipinos fighting fellow Filipinos will come to an early end.

As we always stress, the road to peace is not easy to traverse. What is important is that we all stay the course. ###

1 February 2017

Statement of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Jesus Dureza on the NPA’s recent activities

 We are distressed and extremely disturbed by the recent series of attacks and harassments by alleged New People’s Army (NPA) elements in various areas nationwide.

The unilateral ceasefire was precisely set in place to provide an enabling environment for the ongoing peace talks and also to secure the support of the stakeholders and the bigger public in understanding and supporting these unprecedented, although small but significant steps, for sustainable peace in the land.

We do not wish to unnecessarily squander those gains that even saw President Duterte exercising strong political will to move the peace process forward.

Either some in the National Democratic Front (NDF) leadership talking to the government are not in full control of their own forces on the ground, or they are themselves undermining these efforts for sustainable peace, or pressuring government for certain concessions.

The president will definitely walk the extra mile for peace. But our counterparts on the other side of the peace table must also reciprocate accordingly and do the same. 

The road to peace is not smooth and easy. Let us all help to successfully traverse it. ###

Coron project attracts beauty queens

QUEZON CITY, January 21 --- There is a post-Yolanda rehabilitation project in Coron, Palawan that is a magnet for international beauty queens.

Gabrielle Isler, Ms. Universe 2013 during a 2014 visit in Coron (CordAid)

The Integrated Watershed Management for Climate Resilience in Coastal Communities Project, run by the Catholic Organization for Relief and Development Aid (Cordaid), is set to be visited by reigning Ms. Universe Pia Wurtzbach this Saturday.

Before Pia, Ms. Universe 2013 Gabrielle Isler made a similar visit organized by Cordaid in 2014.

The project, supported by the National Secretariat for Social Action (NASSA)/Caritas Philippines, Apostolic Vicariate of Taytay-Social Action Center (AVT-SAC), the Municipality of Coron and the Miss Universe Foundation, has been empowering women and Indigenous People by building their coping capacities in the face of climate, disaster and environmental risks through locally appropriate and culturally sensitive techniques of land and water management.

Apart from improving coping capacities, participating women are also trained in climate resilient livelihood programs such as vegetable farming and handicraft production.

A beneficiary tends to her veggie garden in Coron (CordAid)

Cordaid, an international humanitarian organization and member of the Caritas Internationalis confederation, has operated in the country since 2013 in response to Super Typhoon Yolanda. (LP/NASSA/Caritas Philippines)

Post-Yolanda rehab project sa Coron, dinadalaw ng mga beauty queen

LUNGSOD QUEZON, ika-21 ng Enero  --- Hindi man natuloy ang mga kandidata ng Ms. Universe sa Palawan, dadalaw naman ang kasalukuyang Ms. Universe na si Pia Wurtzbach sa nakabibighaning Coron.

2013 Ms. Universe Gabrielle Isler ng Venezuela (gitna). Larawan galing sa CordAid

Pupuntahan ni Pia ngayong Sabado ang Integrated Watershed Management for Climate Resilience in Coastal Communities Project sa Barangay Malawig na isa sa mga lugar na naapektuhan ng Bagyong Yolanda.

Sa Noong 2014, dumalaw at nakiramay din ang 2013 Miss Universe na si Gabrielle Isler sa Coron sa imbitasyon ng CordAid (Catholic Organization for Relief and Development Aid). Malalim ang partisipasyon sa nasabing proyekto ang isang kumunidad ng katutubong Tagbanwa na karamihan ay mga kababaihan.

Sa pagdalaw nina Pia at Gabrielle, nababatid ng mga kababayan sa ibang panig ng bansa at maging sa buong mundo ang sinapit at kalagayan ng mga nakaligtas sa Bagyong Yolanda.

Ayon kay Fr. Edwin Gariguez, ang Executive Secretary ng National Secretariat for Social Action (NASSA)/Caritas Philippines, katanggap-tanggap sa Simbahang Katolika ang proyekto dahil nilalayon nitong bigyan kaalaman, kasanayan at kumpiyansa ang mga kababaihan at mga kababayang katutubo.

Pinangangasiwaan ng CordAid ang proyekto kabalikat ang Simbahan Katolika sa pamamagitan ng NASSA/Caritas Philippines at ang Apostolic Vicariate of Taytay-Social Action Center (AVT-SAC).Sumusuporta rin ang pamahalaang bayan ng Coron at ng Miss Universe Foundation.

Dahil sa proyekto, nahahasa ang kakayahan ng mga kababaihan para malagpasan ang mga bantang panganib mula sa kalikasan, nagbabagong klima at kalamidad.

Isang sa mga benepisyaryo ng proyekto na ininspeksyon ang kanyang gulayan sa Coron

Ito ay sa pamamagitan ng paggamit ng mga paraan ng pangangasiwa sa lupa at katubigan na angkop at katanggap-tanggap sa kulturang katutubo.Bukod, nagkakaroon ng pagkakataon ang mga benepisyaryong katutubo na matutunan ang mga gawain tulad ng paggugulay at paggawa ng handicrafts para mayroon silang kabuhayan.

Ang CordAid ang isa sa mga samahan tumulong sa mga kababayang pininsala ng Bagyong Yolanda. (LP/NASSA/Caritas Philippines)

Ph bolsters fight against child labour

 The Philippines ushers in the New Year with programmes to intensify 
its fight against child labour.“Makiisa para sa 1 milyong batang Malaya” 
(One with the children to end child labour) today featured the launch of 
three major initiatives against child labour. These initiatives include a first 
comprehensive project on child labour with set up of helpdesks, a new 
project on child labour in gold mining, and a new child labour module in the 
conditional cash transfer programme.

The National Child Labor Committee (NCLC), chaired by the Department of Labor and 
Employment (DOLE), the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), the Department
 of Education (DepEd), the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), 
the International Labour Organization (ILO) and BanToxics jointly launched the programmes. 
The launch was held on 12 January 2017 in Quezon City.

According to the 2011 Survey on Children, there are 2.1 million Filipino children in child labour. 
Findings of the United States Department of Labor (USDOL) in 2015 revealed that the 
Philippines made significant advancement in efforts to eliminate the worst forms of child labour. 
Despite progress, however, enforcement of child labour laws remains a challenge.

“Child labour is complex and deeply rooted in poverty. Children suffer and risk their health or 
even their lives to work for their family’s survival. Ending child labour requires strong commitment 
and collective effort,” said Khalid Hassan, Director of the ILO Country Office for the Philippines who 
also managed projects to address child labour in Africa and Asia.

The Strategic Helpdesks for Information, Education, Livelihood and other Developmental Interventions 
(SHIELD) is the first comprehensive project of DSWD on child labour. It will strengthen efforts at the local 
level, which will include helpdesks and a local registry on child labour for referral and convergence of 
support services. SHIELD will focus on areas with high incidence of child labour as priority to create an 
impact and to make services more accessible to children and their families. Interventions will be based on 
data from the Child Labor Local Registry.

The Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps), the conditional cash transfer programme of the DSWD 
will also launch and integrate a new module on child labour. The 4Ps has a reach of about 4 million 
households from the poorest of the poor, who are often forced to involve their children in work to augment 
the family income. The 4Ps contributes to putting children in schools through its conditionality on education. 
Being in school, however, is not an assurance that children will not engage in child labour. The child labour 
module will be part of the Family Development Sessions to raise awareness on child labour and the role of 
the family to prevent or to end child labour, especially its worst forms.

CARING Gold is a new project implemented by the ILO and BanToxics together with DOLE and DENR and funded 
by the USDOL. Child labour in mining is considered as a worst form of child labour but remains unregulated and 
unmonitored. The project will address child labour in mining at its root cause, which is poverty and vulnerability. 
Interventions will also include improving working conditions and providing support to establish models for operation 
that are legal and viable as well as compliant with labour, environmental and health standards.

These initiatives overall support the Philippine Program against Child Labor 2017-2022 to withdraw one million 
children from child labour and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), which calls to end child labour in all 
its forms by 2025.

For immediate release
Wednesday, 12 January 2017

Contact details:

SHIELD Project focal point:

Ms Rebecca B. Ballesteros, SWO III/ SHIELD Focal Person, DSWD Social Technology Bureau

Tel. No.: +63 2 931 8101 to 07, ext 324/ 326; Email: rbballesteros@e-dswd.net

Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program Module media contact:

Ms Marie Grace O. Ponce, Public Relations Officer IV, Social Marketing Division

Email: moponce@dswd.gov.ph; Mobile: +63 939 939 6149

CARING Gold Project

International Labour Organization (ILO):

Ms Minette Rimando, Communications Officer

Tel. No.: +63 2 580 9900; 580 9901-2; Fax: +63 2 856 7597

Email: rimando@ilo.org; Mobile: +63 917 535 3162

BAN Toxics media contact:

Mr Lean Lava, Communications Officer

Tel. No.: +63 2 791 8691; Fax: +63 2 239 4451

Email: lean.lava@bantoxics,org; Mobile: +63 917 562 0994