13 former NPAs get livelihood aid in Sarangani

By BEVERLY PAOYON

ALABEL, Sarangani (June 24, 2011) - Thirteen former members of the New Peoples’ Army who voluntarily returned to the folds of the law early this year received on Wednesday (June 22) P50,000 each as livelihood assistance from the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP).

The financial aid was awarded thru the provincial government of Sarangani as part of the Local Social Integration Program, a province-wide program which the Provincial Peace and Order Council with the support of OPAPP created in 2008 to provide immediate psychosocial, technical and financial assistance to armed groups and its members who would like to surrender to the government.

Governor Migs Dominguez told the former rebels (FR) that “the assistance is intended to start a livelihood project to ensure better future for their families.”

“I hope your children would not experience what you have gone through,” Dominguez told them.

“Karon nakita nako sa inyong mga mata ang paglaum,” Dominguez told the former rebels, and that as governor he always sought for reasons why people like them joined the rebel movement.

“It could be caused by lack of education and convincing promises” from insurgent groups, but in Sarangani, Dominguez said all they have to do is to work hard to survive and “there could be no longer reasons their children could not go to school and for them to remain in the hinterlands.”

“Nobody wanted war especially Filipinos fighting each other,” Dominguez said. However, the government would always be ready to respond if there were armed groups threatening peace and security.

Major William Rodriguez of the 1002nd Infantry Brigade appreciated the peace and development interventions of the provincial government as he admitted the military could not respond to insurgency alone without the help of the local government and the returnees themselves.

The Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office reported 315 FRs from the municipalities of Glan, Malapatan, Alabel and Malungon since 2008 have been facilitated for debriefing and training. These individuals now have organized themselves into livelihood associations.

The office said the fund assistance is “a realization of the returnees’ individual aspirations.”

In the past, only P5,000 as emergency assistance were provided but starting this year, each surrenderee will receive P50,000 because OPAPP wanted to ensure the sustainability of the livelihood assistance.

For this batch, the group underwent a three-day training on agri-farming technologies and simple bookkeeping before OPAPP granted the aid.

Provincial social welfare officer Hermelo Latoja said immediately after the encashment of the fund assistance, his office will evaluate the FRs individually on the implementation and progress of the livelihood project they engaged in.

Some FRs were to engage in farming while another wanted to put up a welding shop. (Beverly Paoyon/SARANGANI INFORMATION OFFICE)