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The United States Agency for International Development’s (USAID) Growth with Equity in Mindanao (GEM) Program was a significant US government-funded program, not only in the Philippines but across the Asia-Pacific region. Launched in 1996, the program was designed to assist the thousands of Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) combatants who had been engaged in a fierce armed struggle with the Philippine government. The peace agreement between the government and the MNLF was still fragile, and GEM and its successor program, the Livelihood Enhancement and Peace Program (LEAP), aimed to wean MNLF members from their warrior mindset.
Through GEM and LEAP, the US and Philippine governments provided production inputs, skills training, and infrastructure to help the MNLF members and their families make a sustainable living. I, as a communications and advocacy specialist, witnessed the remarkable transformation of MNLF combatants from being grizzled fighters to becoming agents of peace and development. A 42-year-old MNLF field commander in Kidapawan City, for instance, earned P6,000 a month from his 750-square meter farm, while a 45-year-old commander in Madamba, Lanao del Sur, was earning a profit from his tilapia production.
The program’s success was not only due to the support provided by USAID but also to the commitment and determination of the MNLF members to create a better life for themselves and their families. USAID’s GEM, LEAP, and other peacebuilding initiatives demonstrated to the MNLF that good things come to those who choose the path of peace. The program’s implementation was marked by a paradigm shift, enabling the former warriors to turn away from armed struggle and use their experience, knowledge, and skills to transform their communities into zones of peace and development.
