DAVAO CITY – From members of a lawless organization, former New People’s Army (NPA) rebels have bonded anew, but this time as members of the people’s organizations.
The newly-organized associations are now officially registered as People’s Organization with Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) through the initiative of the 71st Infantry (Kaibigan) Battalion.
Civil-Military Operations (CMO) officer 1Lt. Jhocell Asis of the71st IB said the associations are registered as Barangay Gubatan Livelihood for Peace Association (BGLPA), Calabcab Motor Drivers Association (CAMODA), and Sangab Energetic Farmers Association (SEFA), which were organized by the 71st IB Community Support Program (CSP) as Community Development Volunteers (CDVs) in Barangays Gubatan, Calabcab, and Sangab, all in Maco Compostela Valley.
Asis said the majority of the 200 members of the associations are former supporters of NPA’s Underground Movement (UGMO).
CSP is part of the AFP’s Development Support and Security Plan (DSSP) “Kapayapaan” which aims to attain a just and lasting peace with the active support of the community and partner stakeholders in bringing the government closer to the people and to eliminate the influence of the NPA in the community.
This gives way to the entry of investors and infrastructure development projects in the area of operations of the 71st IB.
The newly-registered associations were welcomed by Adrian Rimando, the Municipal Administrator of Maco.
Asis said a livelihood consultation was conducted by the Medium Scale Industries Coordinated Action Program Foundation Incorporated (MASICAP), a non-government organization tapped by the DOLE to assist the battalion and CDVs in preparing the project proposal.
The associations are eyeing agricultural and veterinarian trading, selling of motor spare parts, car wash and vulcanizing as their proposed livelihood projects.
“These will be awarded upon the completion and approval of livelihood proposals to be facilitated by the battalion and MASICAP Foundation,” Asis added.
Lt. Col. Esteveyn Ducusin, the Battalion Commander of 71st IB, turned-over sacks of high breed peanut seedlings to the associations as a starter kit for the members who signified farming as livelihood project.
Ducusin said he and the troops were honored to become the instrument in mainstreaming these people to become a productive member of the community.
“Most of them are former members of NPA’s Underground Movement because these three (3) barangays where our CSP team located are formerly known as NPA’s stronghold areas,” he added.
“Many of our troops offered ultimate sacrifices in these barangays to the extent that they have lost their lives gallantly fighting against the terrorist, now, with our efforts of organizing the community as peace loving people and with the continue flocks of surrenderers coming from these places, populace will finally achieve the ultimate goal of having peace and progress in their community,” he said.
The battalion commander also thanked DOLE-Compostela Valley for the positive response in the coordination made by the battalion regarding the livelihood projects of the associations. (Rhoda Grace Saron/PNA)
