The Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation, and Unity (OPAPRU), in collaboration with the Maguindanao del Norte Provincial Government, the Embassy of Japan, the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), has launched the Assistance for Peace, Security, Integration, and Recovery for Advancing Human Security (ASPIRE) Project.
This initiative is aimed at bolstering peace and security in the Bangsamoro region.
ASPIRE is an extension of OPAPRU’s Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW) Program, which seeks to register and stencil unlicensed firearms across BARMM under the oversight of the Joint Normalization Committee (JNC).
This strategic initiative focuses on improving security and fostering community-wide participation by providing socio-economic incentives for individuals who register their firearms, encouraging a sense of collective responsibility.
At the event, Maguindanao del Norte Governor Abdulraof Macacua emphasized the importance of controlling unregulated arms, while MILF Peace Implementing Panel member MP Ali Salik noted the project’s critical role in stabilizing the region.
OPAPRU Assistant Cesar Yano echoed this sentiment, stressing ASPIRE’s alignment with the Annex on Normalization in the peace process with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).
“We all agree that the presence of unauthorized weapons poses a serious threat to peace and stability in the region or any locality for that matter,” noted Yano.
Dr. Selva Ramachandran, UNDP Resident Representative, highlighted ASPIRE’s transformative potential to support the decommissioning process for MILF combatants and promote a stable, weapon-free society. BARMM Minister Akmad Brahim, representing Chief Minister Ahod Balawag Ebrahim, reinforced the need for ASPIRE to expand across BARMM to achieve lasting peace.
Piloted in Maguindanao del Norte, Basilan, and Maguindanao del Sur, the ASPIRE Project symbolizes BARMM’s commitment to moving from a history of conflict to a future of peace, replacing the echoes of gunfire with the sounds of community progress and prosperity.
