Caraga RPOC formulates roadmap for peace

By Johny S. Natad

BUTUAN CITY, July 31 (PIA) -- The Regional Peace and Order Council (RPOC) of Caraga is crafting a peace road map for the region.

RPOC Chair and Butuan City Mayor Ferdinand Amante Jr, during the RPOC meeting held July 30, said there is a need to create a peace road map for the region so that development programs the region had already attained can be secured.

“We must establish peace and security in our region. We hope the progress our region has presently achieved will not be affected by the recent terrorist attack in Cagayan de Oro and nearby regions,” Amante said.

It was learned that the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (German Society for International Cooperation or GIZ) of the German Federal Government through its Conflict Sensitive Resource and Asset Management (Coseram) has been assisting the formulation of the Caraga peace road map.

During the meeting, GIZ senior advisor Irene dela Torre presented the overall objective and rationale of the role of GIZ and RPOC on the formulation of the region’s peace road map, “to enable the RPOC to give meaning to its mandate and to do beyond it.”

GIZ consultant Diosita Andot who talked on “Peace and Order beyond Crime and Insurgency” said the council needs to expose to relevant lenses for them to properly reflect about the region’s peace and order condition.

Andot held the proposition that, “the POC may enhance their mandate and functions towards achievement of peace and development and fulfillment of human security.”

Meanwhile, GIZ consultant Rolando Asunsion revealed that a preliminary result of the Caraga Regional Situational Analysis was already conducted which aimed to gather information and generate in-depth assessment on the current conditions pertaining to peace and order and security in the region and its component province and city. “It also intended to assess the internal organizational arrangement of the RPOC and the administrative hierarchy of POCs from the national down to the community level,” he said.

Asuncion said that the regional situational analysis is part of the preparatory step towards the development of a regional peace and development framework and strategic plan.(PIA-Caraga)