The Davao City Peace 911 is eyeing 17 barangays as models for barangay-level Peace 911 to sustain the peace and development initiatives of the city government.
Irene Santiago, Peace 911 Adviser of the Mayor, in an interview during the Peace 911 caravan Thursday said that they have been conducting orientations for the establishment of Peace 911 in 13 barangays in Paquibato District and four (4) barangays in Calinan District. These 17 barangays have been the main focus of the Peace 911 program of the city government for the past four years.
Once successful, Santiago said the Peace 911 in the barangay will be rolled out in the entire city and its success can also be used as a national policy.
“Naga-develop ta og models na i-replicate pud sa uban nga barangays (We are developing models to be replicated in other barangays),” Santiago said, adding that the goal of Peace 911 in the barangay is geared towards achieving the eight pillars of positive peace namely: a well-functioning government, low levels of corruption, acceptance to the rights of others, good relation with neighbors, sound business environment, high levels of health and education, equitable distribution of resources, and free flow of information.
Santiago said that these pillars served as guides to the success of Paquibato as an insurgency-free area where fear of the New People’s Army (NPA) and hunger are being addressed. Fear of the NPA – the armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP), and hunger are the main problems identified by the people in the focus barangays.
Seeing the positive results of the Peace 911, Santiago said she was instructed by Mayor Inday Sara Duterte to create a manual for Davao City. The Peace 911 has also become a unit under the City Mayor’s Office after the passage of the ordinance creating Peace 911 as the Center for Peace-building.
Meanwhile, Malabog Barangay Captain Jessielito Areja has committed to push for Peace 911 in the barangay.
“Para sa amoa diri sa Paquibato, maningkamot pud mi nga mapadayon nga ma-maintain ang Peace 911 sa barangay (For us here in Paquibato we will do our best to maintain the Peace 911 in our barangay),” he said, adding that aside from barangay officials, farmer’s association president, women, youth, Indigenous People (IP) are also involved in the initiative.
Both Santiago and Areja attended the Peace Caravan at the Barangay Gym of Malabog, Paquibato District where more than 1,000 clients have availed the various services offered by city government offices and national government agencies. CIO
