By JOY R. SEVILLA
ALABEL, Sarangani (March 10, 2014) - The Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office (PSWDO) turned over checks amounting to P845,000 to 13 rebel returnees from Malapatan, Malungon, Glan, and Alabel at the Capitol Monday (March 10).
Lizette Lopez, supervisor of the Comprehensive Local Integration Program (CLIP) for Rebel Returnees under the PSWDO, said that the rebel returnees (2 women and 11 men) surrendered to the Armed Forces of the Philippines between 2011 and 2014.
The rebel returnees each received a check amounting to P65,000 as immediate and livelihood assistance from the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP) fund.
"Yung cash assistance galing yun sa OPAPP, ang part ng local government ay yung pag-conduct ng training sa kanila at pati na rin yung monitoring. We conduct a quarterly monitoring sa lahat ng mga nakatanggap ng assistance to ensure na may nangyayaring pagbabago sa buhay nila," Lopez explained.
CLIP is a program under the Sulong Kapayapaan of the Sulong Sarangani Program, a flagship program of Governor Steve Chiongbian Solon to alleviate poverty in the grassroots.
The rebel returnees will also avail one year PhilHealth coverage which is reinforced by the Provincial Health Office (PHO).
"We have expanded the program through our Comprehensive Local Integration for former rebels under Sulong Kapayapaan. Our beneficiaries are given one year free Philhealth services," Governor Solon said.
Of the P65,000 given to each returnee, P50,000 was apportioned as livelihood assistance while the remaining P15,000 was allocated as immediate assistance which includes food, medicine and transportation.
Lopez said before the turn-over of checks, the provincial government through the PSWDO, had conducted trainings for the returnees on how to manage the assistance they will get from the government.
The livelihood trainings conducted to the returnees include animal dispersal and additional farm inputs.
"Ngayon lang na-turn over ang mga tseke kasi may mga transitions na nangyari sa mga papeles nila," Lopez said.
All returnees belonged to the Category A of the New People's Army (NPA), she said. People in the Category A are identified as combatants while Category B are grouped as supporters.
Lopez said that as of 2006, PSWDO has recorded a total of 349 rebel returnees who were given assistance by the government.
"May mga iba kasi na sinabi nila na bumalik-loob na sila sa gobyerno pero hindi sila lumapit sa AFP or sa gobyerno kaya hindi pa rin sila counted. Ang counted ay yun lang lumapit sa gobyerno at nabigyan ng assistance," Lopez asserted.
She further said that aside from the trainings and the monitoring that the PSWDO will conduct for the rebel returnees, PSWDO will also link them to other departments of the local government like the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist (OPAG) to sustain what they have learned during their training.
The OPAG will be implementing the FAITH (Food Always In The Homes) Garden, also under the Sulong Sarangani Program.
"Kailangan kasi nating siguruhin na hindi mamamatay ang assistance na ibibigay sa kanila kundi lalago pa," said Lopez.
In an interview, a male rebel returnee, 26, and father of two, said he decided to surrender to government authorities after two years of joining the NPA forces because he realized that the promises made for him to join the group did not materialize.
"Nakita nako nga wala'y kaayohan ug wala ko'y kaugmaon didto pati pud akong pamilya. Nisulod ko didto kay gipasaligan man mi nga kung mo-apil mi sa ilaha, ang mga naay pamilya makadawat mi og P4,000 kada bulan, mao nga akong gi-testingan. Pero pila na man ka bulan ang nilabay, wala man gihapon, binuang ra man ang ilaha," he said.
He claimed that he was encouraged to surrender to government authorities because he heard that the government is giving livelihood assistance to rebel returnees.
"Ang akong plano sa akong madawat nga kwarta, akoa g'yud paningkamutan nga modaghan aron dili na ko maglisod. Gamiton nako sa butang nga mapuslan," he said.
He admitted that he received threats from his former comrades, however, he boldly said that he is firm with his decision of returning to the government.
On the other hand, Col. Paterno Morales, deputy brigade commander of the 1002nd Brigade of the Philippine Army, congratulated the rebel returnees and encouraged them to use their cash assistance wisely so that more and more rebels will be enticed to surrender.
"Ang hiling po namin ay gamitin ninyo ng mabuti ang assistance na matatanggap ninyo nang sa gayon ay umangat ang inyong kabuhayan. Alam ninyo na marami pa kayong mga kasama, pwede kayong maging tulay para mahikayat sila na bumaba at makapag-bagong buhay," Morales said. (Joy R. Sevilla/SARANGANI INFORMATION OFFICE)
