European Union grants P1.41 billion for Mindanao

MANILA, Philippines — The European Union (EU) has extended a P1.41 billion (24.5 million euro) grant to support peace and development initiatives in Mindanao, including the rehabilitation of the war-torn Marawi City and coronavirus response efforts in the region, according to the Department of Finance (DOF).

According to the DOF, Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez signed on Aug. 11 the financing agreement for the Mindanao Peace and Development Program-Peace and Development in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (MINPAD-PD BARMM).

This is the third grant extended by the EU to the Philippines this year, bringing to 85 million euros (about P4.88 billion) the total financing support given by the European bloc for the government’s peace and development programs in Mindanao.

“This third grant from the EU this year underpins this major economic bloc’s unwavering commitment to the attainment of genuine and lasting peace and development in the Southern Philippines along with the speedy recovery of conflict-devastated Marawi City,” Dominguez said.

“We cannot thank enough the EU and our other development partners for their ceaseless support for government efforts to spell peace in Mindanao and enable the island to achieve its full growth potentials on the Duterte watch,” he said.

Of the total grant, P287 million (five million euros) will be used for the recovery and rehabilitation of areas devastated during the 2017 siege of Marawi City, while another P172 million or three million euros   will be allocated for the BARMM’s efforts to contain the spread of COVID-19 in the region.

The DOF said PD BARMM aims to improve the “social cohesion and resilience of the communities in the Bangsamoro region” and contribute to the development of a “peaceful, cohesive, secure and inclusively developed Mindanao.”

The project is also expected to expand the mechanisms for dialogue and mediation among groups in the region by improving their capacity to take part in the government’s peace- and confidence-building initiatives.

According to the DOF, PD BARMM has a total estimated cost of 35.1 million euros (approximately P2 billion), the bulk or 24.5 million euros of which will be financed by the EU. About 10 million euros will be shouldered by the World Bank, the United Nations and the Australian government.

Other potential grant beneficiaries will provide the remaining 600,000 euros.