Presidential Peace Adviser Carlito Galvez Jr. reaffirmed his commitment to the full realization of the Bangsamoro peace process as he called on various stakeholders to support the national government's initiatives in cultivating an environment where lasting peace could thrive in the southern part of the country.

In a statement Saturday, Jan. 13, Galvez noted that despite the challenges in the implementation of the Bangsamoro peace process, it has continued to move forward through the collective effort of all stakeholders.

"[In] the face of difficulties that have come our way over the years, we have shown remarkable resilience and a steadfast determination to push forward and build on the gains of peace," Galvez said.

Last Thursday, various representatives from key sectors of society including the indigenous tribes, women, youth, academe, religious and business community, and civil society converged in Taguig City to express their support to the Bangsamoro peace process.

Galvez said the major gathering of peace stakeholders from across the country aimed to "revitalize broader multi-sectoral support to the peace process in the Bangsamoro, which has been instrumental in ending decades of armed conflict in the region."

Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) Peace Panel Chair Mohagher Iqbal expressed the group's "unwavering" commitment to peace as he underscored the significance of the Comprehensive Agreement on Bangsamoro (CAB) signed with the national government which "allowed us to move away from violence.”

“[It] provided us an alternative from the cycle of destruction. Hopefully the peaceful path will resolve differences and give hope for those affected by conflict promising a better tomorrow,” Iqbal added.

Meanwhile, Ms. Teresita Quintos Deles, former presidential peace adviser and member of the the Principles For Peace (P4P) governing board, emphasized that the Bangsamoro peace matters not just to the Bangsamoro or Mindanao alone "but to the entire nation."

According to the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation, and Unity (OPAPRU), major peace milestones have been achieved since the signing of the CAB by the Philippine government and MILF in 2014 to end all conflict in the Bangsamoro region.

These include the creation of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) and its interim government, the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA), which has pushed for greater inclusivity and promoted good moral governance in the BARMM.

Over the past four years since its establishment, the OPAPRU said that the BTA’s Parliament has focused on uplifting the lives of its people and unleashing the full economic potential of the region, which has resulted in the passage of five priority codes.

Through the Normalization Program under the CAB, a total of 26,145 MILF combatants have also completed the decommissioning process as they laid down their arms and picked up livelihood tools to transform their lives and reunite with their families.

With the completion of the third phase of the decommissioning process, the OPAPRU said that at least 400 members of the MILF and Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) are now part of the Philippine National Police (PNP) as they help in ensuring the safety and protection of residents in the region.

Moreover, at least 1,848 firearms of MNLF members have also been documented while 1,705 combatants have completed the socio-economic assessment which enabled them to receive P45,000 each as transitional cash assistance under the MNLF Transformation Program.