by Stephen J Pedroza

Internally displaced persons (IDP) and youth groups in Cagayan de Oro met face-to-face with Oscar Moreno to present their agenda to the newly-elected mayor.

The forum, dubbed Panaghiusa spearheaded by the Kristohanong Katilingban sa Pagpakabana- Social Involvement Office (KKP-SIO), provided an avenue for the IDPs and the city youth group to express their concerns and get the commitment of the mayor toward addressing these issues.

Among other things, the IDPs called for the Moreno administration to: (1) come up with a comprehensive resettlement site development plan where basic infrastructures will be provided, (2) provide access to basic services such as water, power and livelihood opportunities, and (3) enact provisions for all concerned government agencies to expedite the processing of the legal requirements needed for qualified beneficiaries to avail of the Community Mortgage Program (CMP) of the city government.

The CDO Youth Agenda urged the next administration to improve access to quality education especially in the hinterlands, to utilize the 3,000 hectares of public land for reforestation and to provide alternative livelihood programs for out-of-school youth and young small-scale miners, to name a few.

Furthermore, the group has vented to help enact the Local Youth Development Council of CDO to be composed of the Sangguniang Kabataan (SK), representatives from the Federation of Youth Organizations, and church-based and community-based organizations.

Moreno, who assumed the seat as the 28th mayor of the city on June 30, frontlined the signing of the Manifesto of Support for the Development Agenda of the IDPs and the Youth of Cagayan de Oro City.

In order to achieve these goals, Moreno emphasized that he needs the people’s support and involvement in his upcoming projects.

“There is no turning back now and I know we can do it. But we also need to help each other. I cannot do it alone,” he said.