Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Undersecretary for Inclusive-Sustainable Peace and Special Concerns Alan Tanjusay, joined by Asst. Secretary Arnel Garcia, meets with British Embassy Political Counsellor Iain Cox on Thursday (January 18) at the DSWD Central Office to explore ways to complement the agency’s peace and development initiatives for former rebels, former violent extremists and their families, and those communities in vulnerable, far-flung and conflict-affected areas in the country.
During the meeting, Usec. Tanjusay discussed the DSWD’s peace and development programs which support the national peace agenda strategy of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. across different peace tables.
For his part, Political Counsellor Cox presented the British government’s ongoing development programs in various regions of the country and its contribution to the 2014 Comprehensive Agreement on Bangsamoro (CAB) peace agreement between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).
The meeting ended with hints of possible collaboration in the development of DSWD case management modules towards mainstreaming former rebels and their families. It also resulted in partnership efforts on capacity-building for social workers who render peace and development work in conflict-affected and conflict-vulnerable geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas.
Also in the meeting are British Embassy Political Advisor Noelle Agudelo and the staff of the Office of the Undersecretary for Inclusive-Sustainable Peace and Special Concerns.