The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and the Local Government Unit (LGU) of San Fernando, Bukidnon, have formalized their partnership for the implementation of the Peace Project for Children Involved in Armed Conflict (CIAC) through a ceremonial signing held on August 7, 2025, at Pearlmont Hotel, Cagayan de Oro City.
The initiative aims to promote the rehabilitation, recovery, and reintegration of children who have been recruited, used, or otherwise affected by armed conflict. The project provides psychosocial support, protective services, and access to development opportunities, with the goal of restoring the children’s well-being and safeguarding their rights.
Leading the ceremonial signing of the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) was Jayson D. Oabel, division chief of the Other Marginalized Groups Division, representing Undersecretary Eduardo M. Punay of the DSWD Innovations and Program Development Group. He was joined by Mayor Rogelio C. Yeke of San Fernando and Director Ramel F. Jamen of DSWD Field Office-Northern Mindanao.
In his message, Mayor Yeke expressed his appreciation for the DSWD’s continued support for San Fernando, especially in its transition toward lasting peace.
“Our signing of the MOA today is not merely a formality, but a sincere commitment to protect those who need us the most — the children affected by conflict,” Yeke said, emphasizing the LGU’s dedication to the protection of vulnerable sectors.
The Peace Project for CIAC is aligned with Republic Act No. 11188, or the Special Protection of Children in Situations of Armed Conflict (CSAC) Act, and supports the Whole-of-Nation Approach to End Local Communist Armed Conflict, as mandated under Executive Order No. 70. It also forms part of the DSWD’s broader peace and development agenda.
San Fernando and the municipality of Talaingod in Davao del Norte have been identified as pilot areas for the project’s implementation, based on their exposure to conflict and ongoing efforts to protect affected communities.
San Fernando holds the distinction of being the first local government unit in Bukidnon declared insurgency-free — a milestone achieved through sustained collaboration among the LGU, national agencies, and security forces, including the 89th Infantry (Makatao) Battalion.
The Peace Project is expected to strengthen existing efforts to ensure that children are no longer used as instruments of conflict, but instead are empowered as active participants in community peacebuilding and development. PR