Davao City, Philippines — 25 July 2025 — As the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) nears its first parliamentary elections in October 2025, calls for tangible “peace dividends” from communities across the region are growing louder. In response, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), with support from the Government of Japan, officially launched the Project CEDAR: The Project for Promoting Human Security through Community Economic Development and Livelihood Initiatives in the Bangsamoro Region.

Held in Davao City, the project’s inception activity brought together representatives from the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation, and Unity (OPAPRU); the Joint Normalization Committee (JNC); the BARMM Ministry of Indigenous Peoples Affairs, Office of Member of the Parliament Froilyn Mendoza, and the Office for Settler Communities; local government units from South Upi, Wao, Sirawai, Tawi-tawi, Davao, and the Special Geographical Areas (SGA); civil society; and communities from conflict-affected and vulnerable areas in the BARMM and its adjacent regions. The activity aimed to build shared understanding, foster ownership, and lay the foundation for coordinated implementation of the project.

Project CEDAR aims to strengthen human security, foster community-driven economic development through sustainable livelihoods, and enhance local capacities for peacebuilding and conflict resolution. It is designed to support conflict-affected communities through inclusive, community-driven economic development and peacebuilding. 

Asuka Ishizaka, First Secretary of the Embassy of Japan in the Philippines, noted in her speech that: “to make a difference in the communities that are still left behind, the Japanese government decided to support the CEDAR project. I sincerely wish that this project will bring peace, hope, and better economic opportunities, especially to those who are in the most challenging situations in this region.”

Project CEDAR will operate in twelve target communities across the region, including:

• Four MILF communities outside the six acknowledged camps;

• Four MNLF communities;

• Two NMIP communities;

• Two Christian settler communities.

To address both the immediate and structural challenges these communities are facing, Project CEDAR will implement a strategic, community-based approach that begins with conducting thorough community assessments to develop inclusive community economic development plans, value chain analyses, and environmental impact reviews. It will also provide small-scale, quick-impact projects that will respond to urgent needs identified in local area-based development plans. The project will support value chain-related community enterprises and introduce alternative livelihood programs to strengthen economic resilience. In parallel, it targets to build the capacity of local leaders—including barangay officials, community heads, and traditional authorities—to lead peace and development efforts. Community members will receive training in skills development, economic enterprise, and peacebuilding to ensure long-term, social transformation oriented to peace. Additionally, the project will strengthen the capacities of local civil society organizations and the security sector by equipping them to integrate conflict analysis, social cohesion, and peace concerns into governance and service delivery.

In his message, Director Dennis Legazpi of the International and Private Partnerships Office (IPPO) of the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation, and Unity (OPAPRU) reiterated that: “We should consider each project that we do as part of a building block moving towards sustained peace. Because we want the economy to move. We have in our minds the thesis that we cannot normaize nor transform if trade, commerce, and investment are not present in the communities. Each community should have a working economy, and the efforts of CEDAR with the Embassy of Japan and UNDP build up the foundations for trade, commerce, and investment to come in.”

The initiative integrates lessons from earlier UNDP peace and stabilization programs, combining skills development, community infrastructure support, and enterprise investments. Focused livelihood activities will include agriculture, value-added processing, and alternative ventures designed to build economic resilience. 

“This project is more than a development initiative. It is a project that seeks to support and bring the dividends of peace closer to the communities of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao and its adjacent regions,” said UNDP Philippines Deputy Resident Representative Edwine Carrie in his speech. “Durable and sustainable peace is not possible without inclusive participation, social cohesion, and local ownership.”

Since the project’s ceremonial signing in March 2025, groundwork has already begun, including site identification visits to South Upi and Wao, and stakeholder engagement with local leaders.

The Government of Japan was lauded for its continued support to peacebuilding in the region. “We thank the steadfast support of the Government and the People of Japan for helping us bring this initiative to life,” said Carrie. “There is much work to be done, but together, we can bring the dividends of peace at a community level.”

As the BARMM moves toward a more inclusive and participatory future, Project CEDAR stands as a symbol of shared hope, resilience, and the ongoing journey toward peace and development. [E]