Hinoba-an: The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), through its Peace and Development Buong Bansa Mapayapa (PDBBM) program, continues to advance peace-building and inclusive development initiatives in conflict-vulnerable communities with the turnover and inauguration of the improved barangay access road project in Purok 3, Barangay Alim, Hinoba-an, Negros Occidental.
According to Philippines News Agency, the project was implemented in partnership with the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity (OPAPRU). It forms part of the Payapa at Masaganang Pamayanan (PAMANA) Peace and Development Program, which supports communities affected by conflict through responsive and peace-promoting interventions. Hinoba-an is among the local government units in the Negros Island Region benefitting from PAMANA, which was formally rolled out in the municipality in 2024 and covers five barangays identified as conflict-vulnerable areas (CVAs).
Among these barangays, Barangay Alim consistently prioritized infrastructure development during both cycles of the program implementation. The road project, completed in two cycles, benefited 341 direct household beneficiaries by improving mobility, enhancing access to basic services, and supporting the socio-economic activities of the community.
In 2024, under Cycle 1, the barangay implemented the Improvement of Barangay Access Road project with a grant amounting to PHP1.35 million, along with an additional PHP27,000 contribution from the local government unit (LGU). The following year, under Cycle 2, the barangay continued the same project with a grant allocation of PHP1.2 million, along with another local counterpart contribution worth PHP36,000.
During the inauguration ceremony of the road project, Undersecretary Alan Tanjusay of the DSWD's Peace and Development Group emphasized that the project is ultimately meant to serve the community. 'Itong inauguration natin ay hindi lamang po para sa amin ni mayor, hindi lamang para sa PAMANA, o sa pamahalaan. Ito po ay para sa inyo, para sa mga mamamayan (This inauguration is not only for the mayor and me, not only for the PAMANA, or for the government. This is for you, for the community),' Tanjusay said.
DSWD - Negros Island Region Regional Director Arwin Razo highlighted the broader impact of peace and development initiatives in marginalized and conflict-affected areas. 'There is always possibility in every impossibility. Development work is never impossible - there is always hope, and there is always the possibility of improving the conditions of every marginalized community,' Razo stated.
Hinoba-an Mayor Daph Anthony Reliquias expressed his appreciation for the project, emphasizing the deeper meaning of PAMANA for the municipality and its people. He noted that the program brought hope by reaching far-flung and conflict-prone areas, strengthening livelihoods, and directly addressing long-standing challenges related to insurgency and underdevelopment in the community. 'The PAMANA project, for me, is not only a program but a promise - a promise of hope, unity, and sustainable development,' Reliquias remarked in a mix of Ilonggo and English.
The PAMANA initiative, a flagship peace and development program implemented by the DSWD in collaboration with the OPAPRU, delivers conflict-sensitive and peace-promoting interventions. It utilizes community-driven development, infrastructure support, and livelihood assistance to contribute to improved access to services, strengthened local economies, and enhanced community resilience in conflict-vulnerable areas.
