The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) through its Peace and Development Group (PDG) is continuously charting the much-needed changes and improvements to boost its peace and development efforts.
Among these is the expansion of agency work force engaged in handling Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) decommissioned combatants (DCs) across conflict-affected areas, particularly in Regions 9 (Zamboanga Peninsula), 10 (Northern Mindanao), and 12 (SOCCSKSARGEN).
Undersecretary Alan Tanjusay of the DSWD-PDG explained that since the Department was mandated to lead in the provision of social services to decommissioned combatants under the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB), the DSWD FO-12 was given the task of handling cases of the MILF-DCs.
“Previously, the DSWD-12 was responsible for overseeing all MILF decommissioned combatants — regardless of their geographic location. However, after extensive consultations with key stakeholders, we recognized that a decentralized approach would be more sustainable,” Undersecretary Tanjusay said on Thursday (February 27).
In a ceremonial turnover of MILF’s decommissioned combatant’s case files and information, the responsibility of handling cases of decommissioned combatants is now officially shared with DSWD Field Offices 9 and 10.
The turn-over was among the activities held from February 17 to 20 at the Pearlmont Hotel in Cagayan de Oro City, led by the DSWD-PDG, in collaboration with the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation, and Unity (OPAPRU) and the Ministry of Social Services and Development (MSSD) of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).
Undersecretary Tanjusay explained that the turn-over is part of the agency’s preparations for the seamless implementation of recalibrated case management approach for former rebels.
“The DSWD expects that with a more decentralized approach, we can ascertain that the government’s commitments and deliverables are closely monitored, and we can better facilitate the reintegration of our DCs into mainstream society,” Undersecretary Tanjusay said.
Anchored on the Buong Bansa Mapayapa (BBM) project of the DSWD, the new case management system includes the establishment of regional offices in Regions 9 and 10, that will particularly focus on monitoring the reintegration of decommissioned combatants.
“Aside from the turn-over of case files, we also spearheaded training sessions for a total of 45 peace and development focals. We are making sure that they wouldn’t jump into their respective roles without fully understanding their duties and responsibilities,” Undersecretary Tanjusay said.
A major component of the session was hands-on training on the DSWD’s digital case management system, which is designed to track MILF beneficiaries’ progress, document interventions, and streamline data management.
The training ensured participants, who are expected to take the role of case managers, could efficiently input, retrieve, report beneficiary data, and facilitate seamless coordination among field offices.
“These initiatives reaffirm the government’s commitment to make sustainable peace and development more accessible in conflict-affected areas, ensuring that decommissioned combatants receive the necessary assistance for their social and economic reintegration,” Undersecretary Tanjusay said. (LSJ)