Philippines: Delia Ediltrudes 'Duds' Santiago-Locsin

People should not keep quiet about things that need to be changed."

— Delia Ediltrudes 'Duds' Santiago-Locsin

Delia Ediltrudes Santiago-Locsin (born 1939), a social worker, is executive director of "Paghiliusa sa Paghidaet" (Unity for Peace)-Negros (PSPN) in Negros Occidental. Her involvement in peace advocacy began in 1988 when she helped evacuees from armed conflict establish peace zones that were off limits to the military and the rebels. She has negotiated peace between groups in conflict, such as the government and the rebels, and the sugar planters and the hacienda workers. She is also involved in the protection of the environment and strengthening the family as the basic unit of society.

Delia Ediltrudes Santiago-Locsin, or "Duds" as she is better known, became involved in peace initiatives when she was chosen by Unicef to lead the rehabilitation work on Children in Situations of Armed Conflict (CSAC) in Negros. Thousands of peasants had to escape the armed conflict between the military and the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People's Army (CPP-NPA). Since then, Duds has been the popular choice to negotiate agreements between groups with adversely opposed interests, such as the peace talks between the government and the CPP-NPA-National Democratic Front (NDF), and the implementation of agrarian reform between landlords and hacienda workers. Duds is actively involved in media and policy advocacy regarding environmental issues like illegal logging, the building of a geothermal power plant in a national park and large-scale mining. She is also active in the protection of women and children against abuse and violence. She is part of Green Alert, an environmental monitoring group that pointed out the adverse effects of mine tailings from the two big mining firms on the water system of Sipalay town. Both firms –Maricalum and Philex – have been closed. "People should learn to let public officials know that what they are doing is wrong," says Duds. Currently, her peace initiatives have moved to strengthening the family as the basic unit of society. She helped establish Healthy Start with the Bulig Foundation, which promotes the mental, spiritual and physical growth of children by working with high-risk expectant mothers who have a history of drug, alcohol, physical and sexual abuse. Her advocacies have been funded by the Canadian International Development Agency (Cida), the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP) and the provincial government.

Paghiliusa sa Paghidaet-Negros (PSPN)