Press Release
June 12, 2009

Peace key to progress in Mindanao - Legarda

Cotabato City, June 12 -- Senator Loren Legarda stressed today the need for peace in Mindanao so that its people could fully enjoy the blessings of economic progress, full employment and decent living standards.

Speaking during the 50th Araw ng Kutabato celebration here, Loren also emphasized the urgency for presidential action to meet immediate needs, such as combat relief and rehabilitation, employment generation, infrastructure building and the tapping of tourism and agricultural potentials to boost the income of the people.

She said, however, that the "full promise of Mindanao" will only materialize "once the guns fall silent."

"We hope that within the next 50 years, we can finally write the chapter ending the clash of civilizations, wars and conflicts fuelled by religions, beliefs, ethnicities and creed," said Legarda, who earlier in the day joined the parade dubbed "walk for peace," from Cotabato City Polythecnic College to the old City Hall plaza here.

"Once we have stilled the guns of war, the development process will roll on smoothly until every nook and corner of Cotabato City and every area of Mindanao realizes their limitless potentials," added Legarda.

She later led a select group in a tree-planting activity at the people's palace grounds with City Mayor Mus Sema and Cotabato City farmers.

"We have to embrace a world of true and lasting peace. And I know that I am not wishing for too much," she said.

Legarda, also a peace broker aside from being an environmental advocate, lauded the City for "demonstrating that varying beliefs, customs and religion are no hurdles to fostering a real sense of community" in this city, where, she said, "everyone is a friend, a brother and a partner."

"Muslims interact with Christians and Christians embrace their Muslim brothers. The sense of unease and tension that underpins the relationships in ethnically-diverse communities is totally absent here," noted Legarda, praising Mayor Sema for promoting the harmonious relations.

"This is a great time to celebrate the 50th year of Cotabato City. The world is more tolerant now of our beliefs and creed and is striving for diversity and openness. We are about to dust off the remaining relics of intolerance that has sown the seeds of tensions between Muslims and Christians and people of various faiths," Legarda said.

Meanwhile, Legarda said that DOLE, DepEd and the TESDA should conduct year-round language skills training and information technology with the aim of luring the business processing outsource (BPO) centers to relocate in the city as part of employment generation.

The other areas that she said must be fully tapped are the tourism, agriculture and infrastructure.

"Cotabato City is a city of history. It has several landmarks that would interest foreign and domestic tourists alike. It should be on the country's tourism map," she said.

Legarda also pushed for the construction of the Mindanao Rail Network. "It may cost billions of pesos to build, but it is a project worth undertaking because the economic bonanza that would be derived from it would be immense," she explained.

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