Key stakeholders in the province of Zamboanga Sibugay formalized their commitment as a local convergence for the Zero Extreme Poverty 2030 (ZEP2030) Movement in an onboarding meeting held in Ipil on July 5, 2023. The Xavier Agricultural Extension Service Foundation, Inc. (XAESFI), headed by Nestor Carbonera, Executive Director, was elected as ZEP2030 Local Convenor, together with the Municipal Government of Mabuhay, under the leadership of Mayor Edreluisa Caloñge, as Co-Convenor. The meeting was also attended by Mayor Arthur Ruste, Sr. of the Municipality of Olutanga; Roberto “Ka Dodoy” Ballon, 2021 Ramon Magsaysay Awardee and Founder and Chairperson of Kapunungan sa Gagmayng Mangingisda sa Concepcion (KGMC), along with representatives from the Provincial Government, civil society organizations, and the ZEP2030 Secretariat from the Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP) and Association of Foundations (AF).
The group initially identified five pilot municipalities for ZEP2030, among them Geographically Isolated and Disadvantaged Areas (GIDA): Mabuhay, Olutanga, Talusan, Tungawan, and Ipil. They also formed a Technical Working Group to facilitate the planning and implementation of the activities of the local convergence.
