The Japanese Embassy in Manila, together with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in the Philippines and the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP) turned over to the Joint Peace and Security Committee (JPSC) one of the newly built security stations in Pikit, North Cotabato as part of the collective multi-stakeholder efforts to maintain peace and stability in the area.
Called the Joint Peace and Security Teams (JPST) Station, the structure will serve as the barracks and the command posts of the JPSTs—30-man operating unit composed of contingents from the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), the Philippine National Police (PNP), and Moro Islamic Liberation Front’s (MILF) Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces (BIAF).
They have trained together to maintain transitional security in areas mutually selected by the Philippine government and the MILF to aid the interim period of the peace process in the Bangsamoro region.
In his opening remarks, UNDP Philippines Resident Representative Dr. Selva Ramachandran said the JPSTs can provide security for communities, engage community residents in a way that any one of the participating entities could not do so on their own.
“The impact of COVID 19 in BARMM has led to heightened insecurity in some areas. The JPSTs will have a key role in keeping the peace in these communities and preventing further displacement and dislocation,” Ramachandran said as he highlighted the important role that JPSTs play especially in the ongoing pandemic.
The construction of JPST stations is supported and implemented through the OPAPP-UNDP “Support to Peacebuilding and Normalization” project and the Japan-UNDP “Assistance for the Normalization Process of Decommissioning of MILF Combatants and for Security Enforcement in the Peace Process” project.
The station in Pikit is the first of eight field stations set up across seven provinces in Mindanao under these two initiatives. The remaining 7 JPST stations are set for completion until March 2021.
The Japanese government has been a steadfast supporter of OPAPP for the attainment of sustainable development and lasting peace in Mindanao, and a committed development partner of UNDP.
“Japan recognizes the importance of stability in Mindanao and has cooperated for the normalization process and socio-economic development. JICA, through J-BIRD, continues to implement the Upland Rice Farming Technology livelihood project in Camp Abubakar,” Japanese Embassy First Secretary Yosuke Tamabayashi said.
J-BIRD stands for Japan-Bangsamoro Initiatives for Reconstruction and Development, a program launched in December 2006 to contribute to the peace process and development in conflicted areas in Mindanao.
The turnover ceremony also included the ceremonial activation of the field deployment of the 3 JPSTs in Pikit namely Teams Pikit, IDB 2, and IDB 3; The latter two will be supporting the movement activities of the Independent Decommissioning Body (IDB) in the decommissioning of MILF combatants and their weapons targeted by the 1st quarter of 2021.
MILF co-chair Deputy Minister Von al Haq accepted the newly-built JPST Station on behalf of the Joint Peace and Security Committee.