IPIL, Zamboanga Sibugay — Twenty-five former New People’s Army (NPA) rebels are undergoing a three-week “hands-on” livelihood skills training through the government’s reintegration program for rebel returnees.
They are part of the 96 former NPA rebels who was profiled by the Army’s 102nd Infantry Brigade command. They are from the nearby towns of Buug, Diplahan, Imelda, Siay, Kabasalan, and Naga.
Specifically, they are into a three-week masonry training being conducted by the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) at the Sibugay Provincial Training Center (SPTC) in Barangay Tenan, this municipality.
The reintegration of the rebel returnees is a joint effort of the provincial government, TESDA, and the Army’s 102nd Infantry Brigade.
Gov. Wilter Yap Palma ordered the Provincial Budget Office to allocate PHP3,000 for each rebel returnee, which would serve as their salary for the duration of the three-week training, through the cash-for-work program.
The rebel returnees, while undergoing training, are constructing a building at the SPTC. The training is set to end on the second week of May.
Half of the cash-for-work budget was shouldered by first district Rep. Wilter Wee Palma through his livelihood fund for the integration of the former NPA rebels.
“You are now back to the government, so, it’s our responsibility to train that you have skills to carry when you are integrated into the society,” Palma told the rebel returnees.
The 25 former NPA rebels will receive the National Certificate from TESDA. They will also receive livelihood starter kits from the Department of Labor and Employment to enable them to start their own livelihood.
The conduct of the training is also in collaboration with other seven national agencies, namely: the Department of the Interior and Local Government, the Department of Public Works and Highways, the Department of Trade and Industry, the Department of Science and Technology, the Department of Agriculture, and DOLE.
The reintegration program is aimed to help alleviate the lives of the former rebels as they are reintegrated into the mainstream of the society. (Dennis Baguio/PNA)
