ALABEL, Sarangani Province – 19 former New People’s Army (NPA) rebels received livelihood assistance from the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace Process (OPAPP) at the Sarangani Provincial Capitol on Tuesday morning.
Emmanuel Gerard Afable of the Peace Integration Unit of OPAPP, led the distribution of the livelihood assistance amounting to a total of P419,400 to the 19 former NPA rebels of Sarangani Province during a simple ceremony at the Provincial Capitol at 11am. Sarangani Governor Miguel Rene Dominguez and 73rd Infantry Battalion Commander Ltc Adolfo Espuelas together with the members of the Joint Validation and Authentication Committee (JVAC) also distributed the livelihood assistance to the former rebels.
“The livelihood assistance is a symbol of the government’s trust to our former rebels. This trust is based in our government’s sincerity in its commitment in the pursuit of a comprehensive peace process to attain a just and lasting peace. Social integration supported by the livelihood assistance, is a vital part of the peace process”, Afable said during the distribution.
“This distribution of the livelihood assistance only shows that the present government is the only legitimate government. Do not listen to the sweet words of those trying to destroy our government. What you (the former rebels) can do is to send your children to school in order to make good use of the given assistance. Help yourselves so that you could also help our government attain a just and lasting peace”, Dominguez added.
The JVAC is a provincial level committee that conducts the validation of applicants for reintegration. In Sarangani Province, the JVAC is composed of the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office (PSWDO), Sarangani Provincial Police Office, the 1002nd Infantry Brigade and the SOCSARGEN Peace Network as the Civil Society Organization (CSO) representative.
“The Filipino soldiers are guided by the Internal Peace and Security Plan or the IPSP “Bayanihan”, where we commit ourselves to contribute to the permanent and peaceful closure of all armed conflict. We fully support the peace building activities such as the social integration of our former rebels. Together with our “Bayanihan” partners, this is our first collaborative step in rehabilitating conflict-affected individuals and areas”, said Espuelas.
The OPAPP through the Sarangani JVAC also distributed livelihood assistance amounting to P649,600 to 14 former rebels on May 25 during the Basic Business Management and Capability Training conducted to the former rebels. To date, the total assistance to the former rebels in Sarangani amount to 1.069M. (pr)
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