Senate lauds OPAPRU’s peace efforts, approves Php7-billion budget for 2025

DAVAO CITY — The Senate on Tuesday approved the proposed Php7.094 billion budget for the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation, and Unity (OPAPRU) for fiscal year 2025.

The OPAPRU is mandated to manage, direct, integrate, and supervise the implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Process through promoting and reinforcing reconciliation and unity among the Filipino people.

A significant portion of the budget—Php5.3 billion—will fund the implementation and continuation of high-impact projects under OPAPRU’s flagship initiative, the PAyapa at MAsaganang PamayaNAn (PAMANA) Program.

These projects account for over 74% of OPAPRU’s 2025 National Expenditure Program (NEP). Both houses of Congress will proceed to the bicameral session to deliberate and finalize the inclusion of OPAPRU’s budget in the 2025 General Appropriations Act.

PAMANA:

A Catalyst for Peace and Development PAMANA is the national government’s comprehensive peace and development convergence program aimed at addressing the root causes of conflict in vulnerable and conflict-affected communities nationwide.

The program prioritizes the construction of infrastructure such as roads, bridges, water systems, and housing units to promote peace and economic growth. For 2025, OPAPRU has allocated Php1 billion for Luzon, Php1.2 billion for Visayas, and Php2.7 billion for Mindanao.

These projects will benefit communities across 15 regions, 47 provinces, and 120 municipalities. Addressing Overlaps with Other Development Programs.

During the Senate deliberations, Senator Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel highlighted similarities between PAMANA and the Barangay Development Program (BDP) of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC), particularly in their target beneficiaries.

Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa, who sponsored OPAPRU’s budget, clarified that while the BDP targets former members of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army-National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF) at the barangay level, PAMANA operates on a broader scale at the provincial and municipal levels.

Dela Rosa emphasized that PAMANA supports a more diverse range of beneficiaries, including former members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF), CPP-NPA-NDF, Rebolusyonaryong Partido ng Manggagawa ng Pilipinas/Revolutionary Proletarian Army/Alex Boncayao Brigade (RPM-P/RPA/ABB), and Cordillera Bodong Administration-Cordillera People’s Liberation Army (CBA-CPLA).

Promoting Peace

Through Inclusive Approaches PAMANA integrates Conflict-Sensitive and Peace-Promoting (CSPP) approaches in all its projects, fostering social cohesion, collaboration, and active participation among stakeholders. Additionally, OPAPRU’s Social Healing and Peacebuilding (SHAPE) Program addresses the psychological and social scars of conflict, particularly in affected communities.

High Budget Utilization and Performance As of November 2024, OPAPRU has achieved a disbursement rate of over 90% for its 2024 programs and projects. This impressive performance places the agency among the top government offices in terms of budget utilization for the first half of the fiscal year.