The Philippine Government ' s military offensive to dislodge the secessionist Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) from its camps in 2000, drew to a halt in the early part of the following year. The Government succeeded in capturing the most strategic camps of the MILF, and negotiate for peace, and ceasefire declarations followed after the signing of a General Framework for the Resumption of Peace Talks in March 2001. This end to hostilities, also signaled the end of the displacement of entire communities caught in the crossfire, and, encouraged the return of displaced populations. This hopeful environment fostered the Bank to commission social assessments for conflict-affected regions of Central Mindanao, and the islands of Basilan, and Sulu. The preconditions for reconstruction and development also led to reconfiguring social reality, away from that observed by the social assessment teams in evacuation, and in resettlement sites. The social assessments explored some issues that would be taking place by examining the motivations and sentiment of people in the field. While this is informative only to a certain extent, nonetheless perhaps, it is the best social investigators can attain, within the setting of post-conflict Mindanao. As this summary was being finalized, a new episode of armed confrontation between the MILF and the Armed Forces occurred in February 2003, reviving an unsettled hopefulness.
