BUTUAN CITY — The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has extended a program for peace and development in the Caraga region until the end of the year as it seeks to build more peace and development communities (PDCs), particularly in conflict areas and areas vulnerable to conflict in Mindanao.

UNDP country director Renaud Meyer is here in the area for a site visit to UNDP projects in some parts of the Caraga Region, particularly the Action for Conflict Transformation (ACT) for Peace Program. He is joined by New Zealand Ambassador Andrew Matheson and Presidential Adviser on Mindanao Affairs Secretary Jesus Dureza.

A PDC is a conflict-affected or conflict-vulnerable community undergoing change processes towards sustainable peace and development through the help of various development partners.

“The UN is here to support the Philippines in its development path,” Meyer said. “We’re absolutely committed to continue supporting Mindanao.”

According to ACT for Peace program manager Diosita Andot, the program will be extended until the end of the year following additional assistance from donors. The program started in June 2005 and was supposed to end in May this year.

“We’re extending the operations until the end of the year. There were new additional forms of assistance from different donors,” she said.

These include assistance from the European Commission (EC), and the governments of New Zealand, Australia and Spain, which will focus on humanitarian assistance and early recovery.

She said a proposed three-year extension of the program is also being mulled for 2011 to 2013.

“There is room for more peace-building work because of the volatile situation,” Andot said.

According to Dureza, the program aims to make communities in Mindanao more sustainable.

“Hopefully, this area will become an incentive of peace for the other barangays (villages) to consider peace-building in their communities.”

During the site visit of the UNDP officials here, there will be a turnover of projects such as potable water systems, botika ng barangay (village pharmacy), barangay health station, and rice trading and consumer store.

Andot said that to date, there are 278 PDCs established in 12 cities, 151 municipalities and 20 provinces. There are 37 PDCs in the Caraga Region.

“We’re looking forward to the time when the PDCs can plan for themselves, access resources for themselves and become models for other communities,” she said.