Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City, Metro Manila

‘Twentieth Congress
First Regular Session

HOUSE BILLNO.3995

Introduced by Representative RAYMOND ADRIAN SALCEDA

AN ACT
INSTITUTIONALIZING THE PAYAPA AT MASAGANANG PAMAYANAN:
(PAMANA) PROGRAM AS THE FLAGSHIP GOVERNMENT STRATEGY FOR
PEACE AND DEVELOPMENT, APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR, AND FOR
OTHER PURPOSES

EXPLANATORY NOTE

The Philippine State has long recognized that sustainable peace cannot be achieved by
military means alone. Lasting peace requires addressing the socioeconomic roots of armed
conflict: poverty, underdevelopment, weak governance, and historical injustice. This is the
context in which the Payapa at Masaganang Pamayanan (PAMANA) Program was conceived
and implemented by the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation, and Unity
(OPAPRU).

The PAMANA Program has served as the government's peace and development
framework for conflict-affected and conflict-vulnerable communities. By delivering roads,
schools, water systems, health facilities, livelihood support, and other essential services,
PAMANA has helped reduce the conditions that breed armed conflict and has demonstrated to
local populations the tangible dividends of peace.

Independent assessments and partner evaluations, including those of the World Bank
and the Asian Development Bank, have confirmed that PAMANA projects strengthen trust in
government, expand access to basic services, and foster community participation in
governance. Moreover, PAMANA has served as a key mechanism to implement socioeconomic
commitments under peace agreements, including the Comprehensive Agreement on the
Bangsamoro and other normalization processes.

Despite its demonstrated effectiveness, PAMANA remains a programmatic initiative
dependent on the priorities of each administration. Its continuity and sustainability have not
been guaranteed by law. Without institutionalization, gains achieved in former conflict areas
remain vulnerable to shifts in budgetary priorities and political transitions.


This bill therefore seeks to institutionalize the PAMANA Program as the permanent
flagship strategy of the government for peace and development. It designates the Office of
the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation, and Unity as the lead implementing agency,
mandates convergence with line agencies and local government units, and ensures annual
appropriations under the General Appropriations Act. It also requires the integration of
PAMANA projects into local development investment programs, thereby mainstreaming
peacebuilding into the everyday work of governance.

By institutionalizing PAMANA, this measure ensures that the socioeconomic
foundations of peace will no longer be subject to the uncertainties of political change. It
establishes a permanent mechanism through which peace agreements can be supported,
conflict-affected communities can rebuild, and the country can reap the dividends of peace
through inclusive development.

In view of the foregoing, the immediate passage of this bill is eamestly sought.

RAYMONBAD LCEDA


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City, Metro Manila

‘Twentieth Congress
First Regular Session

HOUSE BILL NO. 3995

Introduced by Representative RAYMOND ADRIAN SALCEDA

AN ACT
INSTITUTIONALIZING THE PAYAPA AT MASAGANANG PAMAYANAN,
(PAMANA) PROGRAM AS THE FLAGSHIP GOVERNMENT STRATEGY FOR
PEACE AND DEVELOPMENT, APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR, AND FOR
OTHER PURPOSES

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress
assembled:

SECTION 1. Short Title. This Act shall be known as the PAMANA Peace and
Development Act of 2025.

SEC. 2. Declaration of Policy. It is hereby declared the policy of the State to promote
lasting peace by addressing the socioeconomic roots of armed conflict, reducing inequalities
in conflict-affected and vulnerable communities, and ensuring that peace agreements are
supported by tangible programs that uplift lives and sustain development. The State shall
institutionalize the Payapa at Masaganang Pamayanan (PAMANA) Program as the flagship
strategy to deliver peace dividends to communities long affected by violence, armed conflict,
or historical injustice.

SEC. 3. Institutionalization of the PAMANA Program. The Payapa at Masaganang
Pamayanan (PAMANA) Program, as designed and implemented by the Office of the
Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation, and Unity (OPAPRU), is hereby
institutionalized as the permanent flagship program of the national government for peace and
development.

SEC. 4. Program Objectives. The Payapa at Masaganang Pamayanan (PAMANA)
Program shall have the following objectives:

(a) Promote inclusive and sustainable peace by addressing the structural drivers of
armed conflict, including poverty, underdevelopment, and exclusion;

(b) Deliver peace dividends by providing basic services, infrastructure, and livelihood
‘support to conflict-affected and conflict-vulnerable areas;


(©) Strengthen local institutions for peace, security, and development;

(@) Mainstream conflict-sensitive and peace-promoting approaches in national and
local governance; and

(¢) Harmonize peacebuilding efforts with national development priorities and local
government plans.

SEC. 5. Core Program Components. The Payapa at Masaganang Pamayanan
(PAMANA) Program shall include, but not be limited to, the following components:

(a) Community Development and Service Delivery ~ provision of basic social services,
livelihood programs, and local infrastructure projects in conflict-affected areas;

(b) Institutional Capacity-Building — strengthening the capacity of local government
units and civil society partners in peacebuilding, participatory governance, and conflict-
sensitive planning;

(©) Policy and Convergence Mechanisms — ensuring alignment of Payapa at
Masaganang Pamayanan (PAMANA) projects with the Philippine Development Plan, peace
agreements, and local development plans;

(@) Peace Dividends for Former Conflict Areas ~ support for reintegration,
normalization, and rehabilitation of former conflict-affected communities; and

(©) Monitoring and Evaluation — establishing clear accountability and impact
measurement systems for peace and development outcomes.

SEC. 6. Lead Agency. The Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation,
and Unity (OPAPRU) shall serve as the lead agency in the implementation of the Payapa at
Masaganang Pamayanan (PAMANA) Program. It shall coordinate with the Department of the
Interior and Local Government (DILG), Department of Social Welfare and Development
(DSWD), National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA), Department of Public
Works and Highways (DPWH), Department of Agriculture (DA), Department of Trade and
Industry (DTI), Department of Health (DOH), Technical Education and Skills Development
Authority (TESDA), and other relevant agencies.

SEC. 7. Funding. The amount necessary to carry out the provisions of this Act shall be
included in the annual General Appropriations Act (GAA) under the budget of the Office of
the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation, and Unity (OPAPRU), with allocations for
implementing partner agencies. The government may also mobilize official development
assistance (ODA), grants, and partnerships consistent with the objectives of this Act.

SEC. 8. Mainstreaming in Local Governance. Local government units (LGUs) shall
integrate Payapa at Masaganang Pamayanan (PAMANA) projects into their local development
investment programs and annual investment plans. Local government units shall provide
counterpart support, in cash or in kind, as determined by program guidelines.

SEC. 9. Reporting. The Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation,
and Unity (OPAPRU) shall submit to Congress an annual report on the implementation of the


Payapa at Masaganang Pamayanan (PAMANA) Program, including funded projects,
geographic coverage, peace and development outcomes, and audited financial performance.

SEC. 10. Implementing Rules and Regulations. Within ninety (90) days from the
effectivity of this Act, the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation, and
Unity (OPAPRU), in consultation with the National Economic and Development Authority
(NEDA), Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), Department of Budget
and Management (DBM), and other stakeholders, shall promulgate the necessary rules and
regulations.

SEC. 11. Separability Clause. If any part or provision of this Act is declared
unconstitutional or invalid, the remaining provisions not affected shall continue in full force
and effect.

SEC. 12. Repealing Clause. All laws, decrees, executive orders, and administrative
issuances inconsistent with this Act are hereby repealed or modified accordingly.

SEC. 13. Effectivity. This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication in
the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation.

Approved,