CAPACITATING URBAN COMMUNITIES FOR PEACE AND DEVELOPMENT

CUCPD BACKGROUND

The DILG did not confine its response towards the call for sustainable peace in the rural or far-flung communities. With the Retooled Community Support Program at one hand, the Department believes that internal security threats are also rampant in developed communities such as in provinces and cities. This shift was a realization that the battle of the insurgency had already transformed from its traditional view. The government must not employ peace-building efforts in GIDAs alone; instead, they should extend them even in communities where development is seen but is barely felt, particularly by the marginalized sectors. As marginalization remains prevalent, sectors continue to remain vulnerable to the presence and influence of armed groups, thus, hindering peace and development.

As a result, the Department crafted Capacitating Urban Communities for Peace and Development (CUCPD) as one of its strategies specifically designed to respond to the growing marginalization of vulnerable sectors in developed communities. The program intends to minimize, if not eradicate, the profound feeling of marginalization of the vulnerable sectors and enable them to participate in local governance. As it recognizes the emerging parallel systems within local governments, it needs to strengthen coordination and engagement with concerned stakeholders, especially the affected sectors. Local governments should encourage citizen participation in service delivery by engaging in dialogue, mutually agreeing on their respective roles, or setting policy goals.

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