Press Release
July 20, 2009

Villar: No Real Peace in Mindanao Without Real Progress
Poverty is the root cause of insurgency problems in the region

Nacionalista Party President Senator Manny Villar says there are no shortcuts to peace and order. According to him, economic development in Basilan and Sulu is the key in solving the insurgency problems in the areas.

"It has been said over and over again that poverty is the root cause of the insurgency problems in Mindanao. There are kidnappings and terrorism in the region because people have no sustainable sources of livelihood and the local economy is down. There may be other factors that are being cited as reasons, but the bottomline is poverty and hunger," said Villar.

Majority of the Philippines' poorest provinces are in Mindanao and according to Villar, "The government has been releasing the list of the country's poorest provinces regularly, that is nothing new, and yet most of the provinces listed there have been there for decades. How come there is still no progress if these provinces are supposed to be prioritized in development programs?"

The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) itself cited in a report about 'Multidimensional Poverty in the Philippines': "The most glaring pattern is that regardless of which welfare indicator is used, the provinces in one region, the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao, performs most poorly in almost all indicators. This is the region where majority of the country's Muslim population is found and the base of a long standing armed conflict between secessionist groups and the government."

The former Senate president also said, "I don't believe what others say, that Mindanao's sustainable development can only be achieved once a lasting peace solution is in place. In fact, it is the other way around, bring sustainable development in Mindanao and lasting peace will follow."

The government's strategy of giving dole-outs and food subsidies, according to Villar, is just a bandage solution and will not go a long way in alleviating poverty in Mindanao. He said, "You cannot just give these people rice or allowance and expect them to get by for the rest of their lives. These are just not enough. It may fill their hungry stomachs for a day or even for a week, then what?"

According to Villar, there are so many Mindanao development plans and strategies mapped out by economic experts from the government, academe as well as multilateral agencies that can be implemented. Likewise, there are numerous bills passed and pending legislation in the Congress that can be adopted as well.

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