PinoyC and IDS Philippines partner to celebrate COMMUNITY ACTION DAY - Peace between Christians and Muslims

[Joy Ferriols-Pavico]

Community Action Day

Imelda Village, Midsayap, North Cotabato, Philippines, September 5, 2011Community Action Day

 

Geographical Location: Midsayap is a first class municipality situated in the province of North Cotabato, Region 12, Philippines. Its geographical coordinates are 7° 11' 27" North, 124° 31' 49" East.  Midsayap has 57 barangays (smallest administrative unit, also Filipino term for villages). Midsayap means “person wearing a hat”.

Imelda Village is a community in Barangay Poblacion 7.  Its residents migrated from different Muslim barangays of Midsayap to Barangay Poblacion 7 in the early 1990's and 2000. These people stayed there because they were displaced by outbreaks of wars between rebel Muslims and government forces.

The owner of the land of Imelda Village is Dr. Imelda Soriano. In 2008, she introduced a program called the Community Mortgage Progam (CMP) which enabled the Muslims to be able to own the land. The people organized themselves and decided to name the place Imelda Village.  The community is 80% Muslim and 20% Christian.

 

The president of the Homeowners Association Akmad Isla organized the youth in the community and presented their Community Action Day plan during the CLCP training and the National Youth Knowledge Fair in May 2011 conducted by PinoyCompetence. Their theme was “promoting peace between Muslims and Christians and making it begin in Imelda Village”.

 

The Center for Environment and Sustainable Development (CESD) - host organization of PinoyCompetence and the Integral Development Services (IDS) - host organization of IDS youth, partnered to support the CAD event that took place on 5 September 2011.  The youth were mobilized in cleaning up the drainage system of the village, a concern that was expressed during the SALT visit in Imelda Village in May 2011.

 

In gratitude to the youth for their hard work, the community leaders gifted each with a kilo of rice.

 

To date, the CMP is still under process. The land owner has not yet been paid by the government, but Imelda Village is a true model of Muslims and Christians living harmoniously and peacefully in one community.

 

They have access to potable water systems and a multipurpose cooperative building. They are now working for an electric connection in the area.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Laurence Gilliot]

Hi Joy,

 

Wonderful to read that CLCP is spreading so far and contributing to peace within a village.

I was wondering how the youth is planning to create peace between Muslim and Christians? I do not yet fully see the connection with the cleaning up the drainage system, can you explain?

 

Thanks a lot. It will be very useful for many to understand how they have created peace. it is not an easy thing to do...

 

Laurence

[Gaston]

Thank you for sharing Joy. I like the concrete and practical outcomes that were generated by the process on Community Action Day!