Former Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) chief Emmanuel Piñol said Wednesday night that the greatest legacy of President Rodrigo Duterte was turning the main lair of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), Camp Abubakar, in Maguindanao into a peaceful community.
He said that it was all because of the peace negotiation efforts of the Duterte administration.
“Today, things have changed and credit should go to President Duterte for personally handling the peace negotiations with the MILF. This is his greatest legacy to the people of Mindanao,” he said in a public post.
Piñol recounted that many considered his visit 10 years ago in Barangay Karim, Buldon, Maguindanao to be an outright suicide.
“For most of the years that I was the Governor of Cotabato, I was considered enemy number one by the MILF (Moro Islamic Liberation Front) but I survived several assassination attempts,” he said.
But during his most recent trip to the same area on November 17, he said it is now peaceful and ready for development.
“In my trip to Buldon today, I am joined by retired Marine Commandant Maj. Gen. Alvin Parreño and his wife, Anna, president of Support Our Troops, Phils (SOTPh) Inc,” he said.
Along with him are representatives of four major seed companies — Seedworks, East-West, Kaneko, and Condor/Allied Botanicals, he said.
Piñol brought 1,000
giant bamboo planting materials, the first batch of 1,200 breeders of Manok Pinoy, 100 Abuyog Sweet Langka seedlings, and mulberry and trichantera planting materials.
“The interventions were turned over to Brig. Gen. Jonas Lumawag of the 1st Marine Brigade as a joint project with SOTPh,” he said.
The Marines, on the other hand, will distribute the planting materials and the chicken to the residents of Barangay Karim as part of their socio-civic assistance to the residents of the area.
The technical staff of the seed companies will also evaluate the suitability of the area for high-value vegetable production.
“These efforts will serve as the Seeds of Peace in the former conflict area where hundreds of lives were lost in over 50 years of fighting,” Piñol added.
He said that it will be followed by a Vegetable Demo Farming and Derby, similar to what was done in Pagalungan, Maguindanao last week.
Source: Philippines News Agency
