MARAWI CITY, Lanao del Sur (PIA)--Continuously heeding to the call for sustainable support for the town that has notably experienced armed conflict and global health crisis, the non-government organization Community and Family Services International (CFSI) is determined to carry on its mission of reaching out to grassroots communities, especially in the municipality of Butig in Lanao del Sur to maintain their undertakings inclined towards peacemaking.

CFSI Head of Office Farida Mangcaan stressed that as her organization has been doing peacebuilding, they strive to support the initiatives of the government and other actors during emergency situations to help in the recovery and reconstruction of the affected areas, and steer them back towards development.

She underscored that they have always included Butig town as one of their beneficiaries as this has been recognized as one of the major communities impacted by the protracted displacement.

Mangcaan marked the place as historical and symbolic, and where usually the armed conflict would be ignited, causing a lot of people to be displaced and the investments toward human and economic development to diminished.

She expressed that the whole of what they are advocating is both a humanitarian and protection response, and helping the government to bounce back together with the people themselves.

“Nakakabalik kami sa [We return to] Butig because it is part of the protection work. Ito ay para muli ay makarecover sila from the impact na mayroon ang [this is for them to recover from impact of] displacement,” said Mangcaan.

Part of this effort is the recent turnover of community-based support to livelihood projects Tuesday, November 15, under the Marawi COVID Recovery Project funded by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) of the Australian government with four remote villages in Butig town as the recipients, namely, Pindolonan, Samer, Malungun and Butig Proper.

Following the handover of these aids, Mangcaan bared that they will be venturing into collaborative works with their partners such as the municipal government unit, extension services of the Mindanao State University (MSU), Lanao del Sur Provincial Cooperative Office, and Cooperative and Social Enterprise of the Bangsamoro region, among others.

Such stakeholders will accordingly help the organization in capacitating and enhancing the abilities of the farmers and other project recipients who are persons with special needs for them to be able to appropriately operate their requested projects and maintain them as well.

Mangcaan further disclosed that they intend to link their beneficiaries to other opportunities for livelihood and other economic growth as they would be integrated into the lined-up projects of the government, particularly the local development priorities of the concerned local government unit.

She also revealed that aside from the DFAT-Australia, they are currently partnering with the Spanish Cooperation Agency to intensify their aim for livelihood and employment to be enjoyed by other prospective participants coming from the same town.

Mangcaan conveyed that they are fully aware of the love of the locals for Butig town, and with the organization witnessing the rendered perseverance to keep their peace-loving communities, the CFSI committed to continue their support as everyone journeys towards the recovery and reconstruction of their place and respective lives.

“Kasama niyo kami para muling bumangon muli sa years and years na impact ng armed conflict at lalo na ng pandemya,” she said.

[We are with you as you get back on your feet again after years and years of impact of armed conflict and especially of the pandemic. (CRG/PIA-10/Lanao del Sur)