Manila: With a strong El Ni±o expected to hit the country in the latter part of the year, the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity (OPAPRU) on Friday announced that it has initiated an inter-agency coordination with former rebels (FRs) and FR-led People's Organizations (POs) to help in mitigating its impact on farming communities in Mindanao.
According to Philippines News Agency, the OPAPRU's efforts consisted of integrating FRs and FR-led POs into the government's disaster and climate response framework in the region. This initiative was launched by OPAPRU's Local Conflict Transformation - Field Implementation Support Unit in Mindanao (LCT-FISU Mindanao), a unit under the CPP-NPA-NDF Peace Process Office (CPPO), through a coordination meeting on May 19 via Zoom video teleconference.
Tackled during this meeting were "orientation, preparedness, and coordination mechanisms aimed at intensifying interventions to mitigate the potential impact of the looming dry spell on FR-led POs, particularly those engaged in farming activities." OPAPRU Secretary Mel Senen Sarmiento emphasized the importance of proactive and coordinated government action to protect vulnerable former rebel communities from the anticipated impact of El Ni±o.
Sarmiento stated, 'OPAPRU remains committed to strengthening preparedness mechanisms and coordinating closely with our local government units and partners in the regional and provincial levels to cushion the impact of the dry spell, particularly on our former rebels, their families, and their People's Organizations engaged in farming.' He highlighted that climate-related risks pose significant challenges to vulnerable and transitioning communities, particularly those dependent on agriculture and community-based livelihood programs.
'Through stronger inter-agency coordination, early preparedness measures, and localized interventions, OPAPRU and its partner agencies can ensure timely assistance, protect livelihoods, and reinforce the government's peacebuilding and reintegration efforts in conflict-affected areas,' Sarmiento added. The OPAPRU further highlighted the importance of drawing lessons from previous climate-related crises, particularly the Kidapawan experience in 2016, which exposed the severe social and humanitarian consequences that may arise when prolonged dry conditions, food insecurity, and inadequate institutional coordination converge in vulnerable farming communities.
Sarmiento also cited the need to institutionalize a unified coordination mechanism among national government agencies, local government units, area management units, and FR-led POs to avoid fragmented interventions and the duplication of assistance. Tuesday's coordination meeting was attended by the area management units from Regions 9, 10, 11, 12, and 13, together with key leaders of the Regional FR-led Federations from various regions in Mindanao, members of the Special Project Team, and partner agencies from the Department of Science and Technology - Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration, and the Department of Agriculture.
Meanwhile, Sarmiento said the agency's Transformation Program (TP) remains central to sustaining peacebuilding gains by addressing the underlying socioeconomic vulnerabilities of former rebels and their communities, particularly in the context of escalating climate risks such as El Ni±o. TP serves as a localized peace framework that advances both resilience and transformation outcomes. It transforms former rebel communities from passive recipients of aid into active stakeholders in governance, disaster preparedness, and climate response.
