The World Bank Social Assessment of Conflict-Affected Areas in Mindanao Social Assessment of Conflict-Affected Areas in Mindanao Environment and Social Development Unit East Asia and Pacific Region Philippines Post Conflict Series #1 World Bank Office, Manila The World Bank Group 23rd Floor, Taipan Place 1818 H Street, N.W. Emerald Avenue, Ortigas Center Washington, D.C. 20433 Pasig City, Philippines USA Tel: (63 2) 637-5855 Tel: (202) 477-1234 Fax: (63 2) 917-3050 (202) 477-6391 2 Summary SOCIAL ASSESSMENT OF CONFLICT-AFFECTED AREAS IN MINDANAO SUMMARY The World Bank Environment and Social Development Unit East Asia and Pacific Region 3 Social Assessment of Conflict-Affected Areas in Mindanao Foreword HE PHILIPPINE government’s military offensive to dislodge the secessionist MILF from its camps in the year 2000 drew to a halt in the early part of the following year. The government Tsucceeded in capturing the most strategic camps of the MILF. The rebels, having been signifi- cantly weakened, were forced to retreat and to negotiate for peace. Ceasefire declarations from both the Moro Islamic Liberation Front and the Philippine Armed Forces followed soon after the signing of a General Framework for the Resumption of Peace Talks in March 2001. This end to the hostilities also signaled the end to the displacement of entire communities that were caught in the crossfire. Further agreements on the mechanics of the cessation of hostilities were also forged to manage tensions in the field between the still heavily-armed contingents of the MILF and the government troops. This encouraged the return of displaced populations to their homes and made it feasible to start the rehabilitation of communities even as a stable peace settlement was still being worked out. This also bolstered hopes that even as the peace was yet to be finally negotiated, its basis in economic hopefulness could already start to be laid. This was the hopeful milieu that gave impetus for the World Bank to commission social assess- ments for conflict-affected regions of Central Mindanao and for the islands of Basilan and Sulu. The field work for the social assessments were conducted from the second half of 2001 to the early months of the year 2002. The social assessments sought to inform the development work that the Bank was planning to undertake in post-conflict setting of Mindanao. While this quickening of the resolution of the conflict created the preconditions for reconstruction and development in the war-affected areas, it was also reconfiguring social reality away from that which was observed by the social assessment teams in the evacuation sites and in the resettlement sites. The increasing predictability of the security situation was leading more and more people to take the trip back home to confront war’s aftermath or to establish new roots in less dangerous locations. The social assessments tried to probe into some of the things that would be taking place by examining the motivations and eliciting the sentiments of people in the field. This is informative only up to a point. Yet, perhaps, this is the best that social investigators can do in a fluid setting like post-conflict Mindanao. Just as this summary of the social assessments was being finalized a new episode of armed confrontation between the MILF and the Philippine Armed Forces was opened in February 2003. Displacement and exhaustion and the sheer requirements of physical survival have again unsettled hopefulness in Mindanao. One can only hope that the conflict will not be an extended one. In an unfortunate sort of way, the events of February 2003 in Mindanao may have made this report even more relevant. Robert Vance Pulley Country Director, The World Bank, Philippines 24 Summary Acknowledgements HE MINDANAO Social Assessment was prepared by a team under the task management of Mary Judd. The team was led by Dr. Fermin Adriano and comprised of members of three Tgroups: Foundation for Rural Institutions, Economics and Development (FRIEND); Mindanao Land Foundation (MinLand); and MinPhil International (MinPhil). The findings from another assessment undertaken by UP Planning and Development Research Foundation (UP PLANADES) were integrated into this report. This document brings together some of the key findings from the “Mindanao Social Assessment: Final Report” prepared by FRIEND, “Mindanao Social Assessment: A People-Centered Needs Assessment and Community-Driven Institutional Analysis in Conflict-Affected Areas”—composed of two reports prepared separately by MinLand and MinPhil, and “Social Assessment for Basilan and Sulu” prepared by UP PLANADES. Funding came from the Post Conflict Fund of the World Bank. The terms of reference for the assessment was drafted jointly by the Government of the Philippines (NEDA) and the World Bank. The report greatly benefited from a peer review undertaken by the following people: Cyprian Fisiy (EASES WB), Per Wam (SDVCP WB), Steven Holtzman (ECSSD WB), Leonora Gonzales (EACPF WB), Ernesto Garilao (AIM Philippines), and Steven Muncy (CFSI Philippines). Jude Esguerra integrated the various reports and prepared the summary. Larry Lopez provided graphics, layout design and photographs. Additional photographs were from Moving Concepts, Incorporated. The findings, interpretations and conclusions are those of the report team and should not be attributed to the World Bank, its Board of Directors or any of its member countries. Mary Judd Manila, Philippines March 3, 2003 53 Social Assessment of Conflict-Affected Areas in Mindanao Acronyms AFP Armed Forces of the Philippines AI Amnesty International ARMM Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao ASFP ARMM Social Fund Project BEC Basic Ecclesial Communities CAFGU Citizens Armed Forces Geographical Unit CARP Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program CFSI Community and Family Services International CIDA Canadian International Development Authority CMR Child Mortality Rate DA Department of Agriculture DSWD Department of Social Welfare and Development DOH Department of Health DepEd Department of Education ECs Evacuation Centers ESA Emergency Shelter Assistance FIES Family Income and Expenditure Survey GRP Government of the Republic of the Philippines HDI Human Development Index ICRC International Committee of the Red Cross IDP Internally-Displaced Person IP Indigenous People IPRA Indigenous Peoples Rights Act KALAHI Kapit-Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan LGU Local Government Unit MILF Moro Islamic Liberation Front MNLF Moro National Liberation Front MRDP Mindanao Rural Development Program NCR National Capital Region PHDR Philippine Human Development Report SWIFT-ELAP Support With Implementing Fast Transition- Emergency Livelihood Assistance Program SZOPAD Special Zone of Peace and Development UNDP United Nation Development Program 64 Summary Contents Foreword Acknowledgements Acronyms A. Overview – Objectives of the Social Assessment B. General Demographic and Poverty Situation in ARMM and the Social Assessment Survey Areas The Muslims and the Influx of Settlers Muslim Ethnic Affiliations Poverty in ARMM and the Conflict-Affected Areas C. Impact of the Conflict and Prospects of Return to Homes Displaced Persons Were Predominantly Muslims Areas of Major Population Displacement Displaced Persons Hesitate to Return to Their Places of Origin Women are Affected Differently Chronic Uncertainty and its Economic Consequences D. Problems Encountered by Displaced Populations Returning to their Homes Displacement Overloaded Informal Systems of Mutual Support Productive Assets were Destroyed Because of the War Communities Host People Unwilling to Return Home Risks of Return to Areas of Unconcluded Conflict Large-scale War has its Effects on Persistent and Pre-existing Local Conflicts Pre-existing Conflict and the War —the Moro Land Issue Three Post-conflict Community Types E. Assessment of Needs in Post-Conflict Areas Central Mindanao Basilan and Sulu F. Traditional Social Hierarchies and Implications to Collective Project Delivery Powerful Local Leaders Specificity of Moro Feudalism Clan and Village Elders are also Community Authorities A Role for NGOs and Beneficiary Groups 75 Social Assessment of Conflict-Affected Areas in Mindanao Contents G. Autonomous Organizations Membership in Organizations in Central Mindanao Many Organizations in Muslim Mindanao are Directly Affiliated with the MNLF Civil Society in Service Provision in Basilan and Sulu Weakness of Traditional Families in Basilan is an Opportunity H. Some Experiences in Project Implementation in Mindanao UNDP Experience USAID SWIFT/ELAP I. Local Governments and the ARMM Non-Resident Mayors Negative Perception of Local Governments and Public Agencies ARMM Line Agencies as Implementing Bodies J. Conclusions Tables, Figures and Boxed Text Table 1 - Population, Poverty Incidence and Depth Table 2 - Average Annual per Capita Incomes and Human Development Indexes (1997, 2000) Table 3 - Evacuees Moving to Places of Relocation or Returning to Their Homes (November 2001) Table 4 - Plans and Reasons for Returning to their Place of Origin Table 5 - Profile of Credit Availment Before and After the Conflict Table 6 - Community Needs and Aspirations as Revealed Through Participatory Planning (Central Mindanao) Table 7 - Community Priorities for Sulu Province Table 8 - Community Priorities for Basilan Province Table 9 - “Who Appropriates Land or its Produce for Individual Use?” Figures 1 - Coverage of the MSA Figure 2 - Basic Social Services in Eight Mindanao Conflict Provinces Figure 3a- Access to Agricultural