PRELATES FOR PEACE. Catholic Church Borongan Diocese Bishop Crispin Varquez (right) greets Human Settlements and Urban Development Secretary Eduardo del Rosario (left), the Eastern Visayas cabinet officer for regional development and security, and Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Carlito Galvez Jr. (center) during the 43rd Samar Island Partnership for Peace and Development meeting in Borongan City, Eastern Samar on Thursday (Feb. 21, 2020). The three Roman Catholic bishops in Samar Island agreed to lead the localized peace talks to finally achieve peace and development in the three provinces. (Photo courtesy of Emy Calagos)
TACLOBAN CITY – The three Roman Catholic bishops in Samar Island have agreed to lead the localized peace talks to finally achieve peace and development in the three provinces.
During the 43rd Samar Island Partnership for Peace and Development (SIPPAD) meeting held at the St. Mary Academy in Borongan City, Eastern Samar on Thursday, the three bishops of Samar Island accepted the challenge to become the lead convener of the localized peace talks with members of the New People’s Army (NPA).
The prelates vowed to help end insurgency in the presence of Human Settlements and Urban Development Secretary Eduardo del Rosario, the Eastern Visayas cabinet officer for regional development and security, and Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Carlito Galvez Jr.
Mayor Jose Ivan Dayan Agda initiated the motion during the SIPPAD meeting, which was unanimously agreed by other members.
In his motion, Agda said while it is the three bishops who will lead the localized peace talks, funding for the initiative will be provided by local government units.
“To me, the bishops are more credible than I am in calling for peace because I am a politician,” Agda said when he raised the motion.
Eastern Samar Governor Ben Evardone promised to support the secretariat of the local peace panel to be created by the three bishops.
SIPPAD is a partnership composed of different sectors – church, government, academe, civil society organizations, youth and media in the provinces of Northern Samar, Eastern Samar and Samar headed by the three bishops in the Diocese of Borongan, Calbayog, and Catarman, who oversee the church in Samar provinces.
Borongan Diocese Bishop Crispin Varquez, the host for 43rd SIPPAD meeting, is hoping that this will pave the way to finally end local insurgency problems on the island that resulted in massive poverty and preventing progress and development, especially in remote communities.
Eastern Samar, Samar, and Northern Samar are listed among the top 20 poorest provinces in the country.
“We are more than willing to cooperate and do the work for peace and progress of the island,” Varquez said during the meeting.
Calbayog Diocese Bishop Most Rev. Isabelo Abarquez said he is “more than willing to accept it and even more than willing to die (for peace).”
Fr. Fred Placa, Catarman, Northern Samar diocesan pastoral affairs office director also accepted the call, adding that the local church in Samar Island is committed to working for peace.
The prevailing communist insurgency and terrorism have been the most serious threat and greatest concern in the region's security and most notably in Samar Island, del Rosario said.
Del Rosario noted that at the national level, poverty incident ranking, among the 80 provinces in the country, Samar is ranked 18th with a poverty rate of 29.05, Northern Samar at 15th (34.03 percent), and Eastern Samar at the 5th place (49.54 percent).
“It is very unfortunate for us because we can see that Samar is very rich in natural resources and yet these areas are among the poor in the country. The common denominator of this is the presence of the Communist Party of the Philippines and NPA,” del Rosario said.
“This is why President Rodrigo Duterte emphasized to end insurgency problem by creating local task force concentrated on the delivery of services, construction of infrastructure, business and livelihood, and delivery of social services focus on education,” he added.
He told SIPPAD members that the regional task force on ending local communist armed conflict will identify interventions and projects that will be incorporated in government agencies’ 2021 budget.
“To alleviate poverty in the Samar island, there is a need to promote the island-wide convergence of poverty reduction interventions involving local government units, national government agencies, private sector, and civil society organizations,” del Rosario said.
He added that stakeholders must also help to mobilize support resources from the church and private sector to fill the gaps in development, identify projects in priority areas, and help in promoting Samar Island tourism among the national and international markets. (PNA)
