DAVAO CITY—The business sector should overcome its fear and invest in conflict areas, especially in areas in Mindanao, because investors are crucial in the formula for peace, chief government peace negotiator Jesus Dureza said.
Dureza, in his speech during the Philippine Development Forum here on Tuesday, said poverty and conflict must be addressed at the same time.
“Simultaneously, we have to address both peace and development. If you invest for peace in these areas, you will also get the benefits if peace will come,” he said.
Dureza cited experiences in Maguindanao province where criminality was addressed following the boom of banana plantations that gave residents jobs.
These kinds of opportunities are important in improving the lives of people who are involved in conflict, he added.
The administration of President Duterte, he said, also intends to address energy supply in the country, especially with the power outages experienced by Mindanao in the past few years.
While Dureza recognized what he called as “isolated cases” of attacks on power transmission lines and other facilities, he said the greater threat is how energy sources would be sustained.
Mindanao should free itself from its dependence on hydro power and the impact of climate change on these energy sources must be considered, he said.
Dureza said there is a complex list of intertwined issues on conflict and development in the country, but the government is confident that these problems will be addressed under the Duterte administration.
“This is going to be addressed one step at a time. Don’t expect that there is immediate magic and all concerns will be addressed,” he said. —KARLOS MANLUPIG