President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. witnessed the ceremonial signing at Malacañang, which coincided with the launch of National Peace Consciousness Month under the theme “Kapayapaan Pagtibayin, Kaunlaran Paigtingin.” The event was led by Presidential Peace Adviser Secretary Mel Senen Sarmiento alongside key representatives from both the government and the CBA-CPLA.
Highlighting the historic nature of the occasion, President Marcos reaffirmed state support for the Cordillera region’s progress.
“This marks the first agreement in our country’s history to be meaningfully fulfilled. We will continue to support the Cordillera’s aspiration for autonomy and ensure that peace continues to translate into development and opportunity,” Marcos stated.
Presidential Peace Adviser Secretary Mel Senen Sarmiento described the signing as a major leap forward, emphasizing that lasting stability depends on community empowerment.
“The signing of the fulfillment marks a significant milestone in the decades-long peace process in the Cordillera and underscores the continuing commitment of both parties to transform the gains of peace into lasting development and opportunities for the region’s communities,” Sarmiento said.
“We must keep in mind that genuine peace cannot simply be built on the mere absence of war. This crucial undertaking requires us to create opportunities that will uplift the lives of people and empower communities,” he added.
The agreement validates decades of progress following the initial 1986 Mt. Data Peace Accord brokered under Fr. Conrado Balweg. That historic peace deal led to the creation of the Cordillera Administrative Region in 1987, the integration of CPLA combatants into the military in 2001, and the group’s eventual transition into a socio-economic entity in 2011.
Expressing appreciation on behalf of the group, former CPLA President Marcelina Bahatan acknowledged the administration’s support.
“On behalf of the Cordillera Bodong Administration, we would like to extend our gratitude to our dear President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. He has helped uplift the lives of the Cordillerans, especially those in the Cordillera Bodong Administration and the Cordillera People’s Liberation Army,” Bahatan remarked.
CBA-CPLA Chairperson Arsenio Humiding also emphasized their continued dedication to sustained stability.
“We in the CBA-CPLA stand firm that, as mentioned by the President in his State of the Nation Address, the peace process must be finished. We stand firm that we will finish it,” Humiding noted.
Under the fulfillment agreement, local government units will now collaborate with national agencies to design provincial Transformation Program plans aimed at driving long-term socio-economic growth throughout the region.
In a landmark moment for national peacebuilding, the Philippine government and the Cordillera Bodong Administration–Cordillera People’s Liberation Army (CBA-CPLA) signed the fulfillment agreement of the 1986 Mt. Data Peace Accord on Tuesday, September 1, officially making it the first peace pact in Philippine history to reach full completion.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. witnessed the ceremonial signing at Malacañang, which coincided with the launch of National Peace Consciousness Month under the theme “Kapayapaan Pagtibayin, Kaunlaran Paigtingin.”
The event was led by Presidential Peace Adviser Secretary Mel Senen Sarmiento alongside key representatives from both the government and the CBA-CPLA.
Highlighting the historic nature of the occasion, President Marcos reaffirmed state support for the Cordillera region’s progress.
“This marks the first agreement in our country’s history to be meaningfully fulfilled. We will continue to support the Cordillera’s aspiration for autonomy and ensure that peace continues to translate into development and opportunity,” Marcos stated.
Presidential Peace Adviser Secretary Mel Senen Sarmiento described the signing as a major leap forward, emphasizing that lasting stability depends on community empowerment.
“The signing of the fulfillment marks a significant milestone in the decades-long peace process in the Cordillera and underscores the continuing commitment of both parties to transform the gains of peace into lasting development and opportunities for the region’s communities,” Sarmiento said.
“We must keep in mind that genuine peace cannot simply be built on the mere absence of war. This crucial undertaking requires us to create opportunities that will uplift the lives of people and empower communities,” he added.
The agreement validates decades of progress following the initial 1986 Mt. Data Peace Accord brokered under Fr. Conrado Balweg. That historic peace deal led to the creation of the Cordillera Administrative Region in 1987, the integration of CPLA combatants into the military in 2001, and the group’s eventual transition into a socio-economic entity in 2011.
Expressing appreciation on behalf of the group, former CPLA President Marcelina Bahatan acknowledged the administration’s support.
“On behalf of the Cordillera Bodong Administration, we would like to extend our gratitude to our dear President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. He has helped uplift the lives of the Cordillerans, especially those in the Cordillera Bodong Administration and the Cordillera People’s Liberation Army,” Bahatan remarked.
CBA-CPLA Chairperson Arsenio Humiding also emphasized their continued dedication to sustained stability.
“We in the CBA-CPLA stand firm that, as mentioned by the President in his State of the Nation Address, the peace process must be finished. We stand firm that we will finish it,” Humiding noted.
Under the fulfillment agreement, local government units will now collaborate with national agencies to design provincial Transformation Program plans aimed at driving long-term socio-economic growth throughout the region.