DATU PIANG, Maguindanao – A United Nations (UN) relief agency operating in Mindanao has successfully facilitated the negotiations for some 1,830 families displaced by the armed conflict here last year to return home.

The families, who have been taking refuge in this town, agreed to return to their respective communities, along with the internally displaced persons (IDPs) who fled their homes following the November 23 massacre in Maguindanao, the UN Act for Peace said in a statement.

A series of dialogues were held under the supervision of the local government unit (LGU) of Datu Piang, the leaders of IDPs, local police and the Government of the Philippines-UN (GOP-UN) Act for Peace Programme through its Strengthening Response to Internal Displacement (StRIDe) Mindanao Project.

Those involved in the dialogues are now drafting a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to stipulate agreements reached by the parties for the safe return of the IDPs to the different towns of Maguindanao and nearby villages of Midsayap in North Cotabato.

Although the mass movement back home of IDPs is yet to start, some of them have already returned home with “pabaon” from relief agencies.

“Sana, magkaroon na kami ng kopya ng MoU para maipakita namin kung may magtanong sa amin pagbalik namin sa aming lugar (I hope we can secure a copy of the MoU so that we can show it to anyone who will ask us upon our return to our place),” said 65-year-old Mindo Kamsa from Damatulan, Midsayap during the distribution of “pabaon” to IDPs who are returning home.

Kamsa said his family and other IDPs started to return to Damatulan three weeks ago and are now working on their farms.

Records from the Municipal Social Welfare and Development Office (MSWDO) showed that 2,485 IDP families or 12,425 persons were staying in the town as of last December 15, a drop from the 3,891 IDP families (19,455 persons) recorded last November 15.

Some of the IDPs came from the inner villages of the town itself.

Data gathered by the Maguindanao Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office and the Mindanao Emergency Response Network showed that the province had 34,874 IDP families or 174,370 persons as of December 15.