DEPUTY Permanent Representative of the Philippines to the United Nations (UN) Ambassador Ariel Rodelas Peñaranda cited how the Philippines has benefitted from the Peacebuilding Fund (PBF) for the UN programs in Mindanao during the recent high-level meeting on Peacebuilding Financing.

UN General Assembly President Abdulla Shahid convened the high-level meeting to promote adequate, predictable, and sustained financing for peacebuilding.

Peñaranda highlighted how the pooled resources by the UN were instrumental in helping build the capacities in the area of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), in close coordination with the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP), in line with the inclusive peace and development roadmap for the Bangsamoro Peace Process of the Duterte Administration.

“Through adequate and sustained financing, peacebuilding’s raison d’être is to provide support to countries in their efforts to sustain peace and build inclusive and prosperous societies,” DPR Peñaranda said.

The Deputy Permanent Representative also emphasized the importance of the expansion “beyond the peace table” of women’s political participation and leadership, encouraged fellow UN delegates to address the financing gap in peacebuilding, and the Philippines’ contribution amounting to US$50,000 towards the PBF for the year 2022.

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Cristina Lee-Pisco