Australia pours ₱2.4-B for peacebuilding in Bangsamoro
MAKATI CITY (MindaNews / 19 November) – The Australian government has pledged continued support to the Bangsamoro peace process, now underpinned by its AU$64-million (₱2.4 billion) five-year peacebuilding assistance for the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).
Ambassador Marc Innes-Brown said Australia’s assistance to the BARMM included supporting the political and normalization tracks of the Comprehensive Agreement of the Bangsamoro (CAB).
He described the CAB as a notable achievement and an example of what is possible through dialogue and perseverance.
“It laid the groundwork for greater stability and better socioeconomic conditions in the region,” Innes-Brown said.
The Philippine government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) signed the CAB in 2014 after 17 years of peace negotiations. Its key component involved the establishment of the Bangsamoro autonomous region, which was realized in 2019 with the ratification of Republic Act 11054 or the Organic Law for the BARMM, also called the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL).
The establishment of the Bangsamoro region is part of the political track of the CAB, while normalization includes the decommissioning of MILF combatants and the transformation of government-recognized MILF camps into peaceful and productive zones, among others.
Innes-Brown delivered a message Tuesday during the international conference here dubbed “After the Peace Agreements: The Bangsamoro and Beyond,” attended by at least 200 local and foreign participants. The Cotabato-based think tank Institute for Autonomy and Governance organized the event with the support of Australian Aid.
The envoy said that Australia’s development cooperation has been providing assistance and support to the Bangsamoro for nearly 30 years, in a bid to improve the conditions for peace and stability in the region.
He said that Australia is partnering with the government, non-government organizations and civil society actors in rolling out its development assistance in the Bangsamoro region.
Innes-Brown added they are also working with local partners to address the underlying drivers of instability and to support effective and accountable institutions that underpin BARMM’s economic and social development.
The approach is guided by the Australia-Philippines Development Partnership Plan and informed by the priorities of the Bangsamoro to deliver meaningful outcomes for the Philippines, he said.
Australia’s ongoing five-year assistance for the southern Philippines is the “Peacebuilding in Conflict-Affected Mindanao 2,” which was launched in 2023. The assistance supports “a more peaceful and prosperous Philippines, a more stable Southeast Asian region, and will help keep Australia and Australians safer and more secure by preventing terrorism and violent extremism,” a briefer said.
The current program builds on Australia’s previous commitment (AU$92 million, 2014-2023) to support the ongoing peace process between the Government of the Philippines and the MILF, it added.
Such assistance included supporting the establishment of the BARMM, and working towards long-term stability, security, and development in the region’s conflict-affected areas with various partners, it said. (Bong S. Sarmiento / MindaNews)
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