Finland pledges support to Philippine peace process

October 4, 2018

DAVAO CITY - The Philippines said Finland will continue supporting the peace initiatives of government, especially with a peace settlement with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front.

The Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (Opapp) said Finland Ambassador to the Philippines Petri Puhakka paid a courtesy call on Presidential Peace Adviser Jesus Dureza on Monday at the Marco Polo Hotel.

Puhakka extended the assurance of his country’s support to the Philippines’ “quest for lasting peace and sustainable development”.

“We are happy to do our part to help,” Puhakka said.

He also called on government to continue its work “noting that change will not happen overnight”. “The people will need to manage their expectations,” Puhakka said.

Dureza briefed Puhakka on the government’s Comprehensive Philippine Peace Process, “particularly on the salient provisions of the recently-passed Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL) and how the landmark measure will impact on the lives of the people in the region”.

“We are now at the (information and education) campaign stage. We want people to better understand (the law),” Dureza said.

He said he was confident of the Bangsamoro people’s vote for the passage of the landmark measure in the plebiscite scheduled in January next year.

“I have very high expectations (it will be supported) by the people,” he said.

The two officials discussed possible areas of collaboration between their respective countries, which would include a proposal for Finland to provide capacity-building assistance to the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).

“We really need your help to capacitate the people,” Dureza said. “We need to improve the lives of people. Development is very important.” DMS