NASUGBU, Batangas – The road to peace is tough. But the recipe for development requires peace as ingredient – a daunting task that the “Task Force Ugnay,” a collaborative undertaking of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) – Philippine Army’s 2nd Infantry “Jungle Fighter” Division – through its 202nd Infantry “Unifier” Brigade – and the Philippine National Police (PNP) Regional Office (PRO4A) Calabarzon, has undertaken year-round for the region this 2018.
In an interview with the Philippine News Agency on Wednesday, Lt. Col. Reynaldo R. Malapad, “Task Force Ugnay” commander and 2nd Civil-Military Office (CMO) Battalion commanding officer, said the Task Force is part of the government’s strong resolve in sustaining peace and development in conflict-stricken areas, especially those infiltrated, influenced, harassed or affected by the insurgency in the region.
“We are winning the battle without firing a single shot. Because we are all Filipinos. Hindi naman kailangan magpatayan tayo. Kailangan lang magusap. Madaling magkaintindihan, bilang mga Pilipino, madaling magkapaliwanagan (We don’t have to kill each other. We only need to talk. It’s easier to understand each other as Filipinos, it’s easier to talk and listen),” Malapad inspired.
Since it embarked on a series of community-based activities, Task Force Ugnay took its drawing power from the Filipino spirit of “pakikisama” (belongingness) in forging friendship and unity through language, understanding culture and respecting differences in principles.
Through dialogues and informal interactions and a series of community-based activities, the Task Force has drawn support, sympathy and cooperation from residents as it aims to help attain long lasting peace and sustainable development, through the deployment of the joint AFP’s Community Support Program (CSP) and PNP’s Community Mobilization Program (CMP) teams in various areas in Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon or collectively the Calabarzon Region.
The Task Force commander shared that their teams have familiarized with community issues and concerns, thus their “ground forces” are able to bridge the gap between residents and various sectors and extend community services in partnerships with government line agencies, local government units (LGUs) and non-government organizations (NGOs).
Since the joint teams were deployed in Feb. 19 this year under the operational control of the 2ID’s 202nd Infantry “Unifier” Brigade under its Commander, Brig. Gen. Arnulfo Marcelo B. Burgos Jr., the Task Force has been conducting various community services, outreach programs and community livelihood opportunities.
“Ito na rin ang local peace talks natin. Ang Task Force Ugnay nakikipag-usap sa kanila hindi sa pamamagitan ng armas kundi sa pakikipag-kaibigan sa mga tao para ma-facilitate natin ang basic services and empower the community and enable them to have livelihood opportunities (This serves as our local peace talks. Task Force Ugnay talks to them not through the use of arms, but through friendship with the constituents to facilitate basic services, empower the community and enable them to have livelihood opportunities),” he added.
Nestled in an upland tranquil locality and surrounded by lush vegetation and forest, the Task Force camp in this Batangas coastal town has been serving several towns and communities in the region, and is also home of the 514th Engineering Battalion, the Army’s construction and non-combatant arm for several infrastructures in the communities such as classrooms, roads and other multipurpose facilities, to name a few.
2ID Commander Maj. Gen. Rhoderick M. Parayno visited “Task Force Ugnay” headquarters in Feb. 23, 2018 and by Aug. 31, this year, the 202nd Infantry “Unifier” Brigade Commander Brig. Gen. Arnulfo Marcelo B. Burgos Jr, also paid a visit to the headquarters.
Burgos has lauded the strong partnership and good working relationship of the military and the police in ensuring peace, prosperity and development in the entire Calabarzon Region as his operational jurisdiction, calling this joint efforts the iron-clad military-police partnership for the benefit of the people “whom we have sworn to serve, protect and defend” under one flag, the same country.
According to Malapad, the Task Force – with the PNP personnel – has also taken its joint and harmonized role in curbing criminality and in eradicating illegal drugs and addressing other peace and order concerns in coordination with the village councils, barangay tanod and community stakeholders.
“We are winning the hearts and minds of the people,” Malapad expounded, recalling their Task Force Ugnay’s health, medical and dental missions and community services last April this year to reach out to countryside folks especially among less privileged residents to have access to government services right in their localities.
“It is through addressing their issues and concerns that we let our people feel how important they are to us, and how dedicated the government is in reaching out, helping and bringing government closer to them,” Malapad said, thanking the LGUs and various stakeholders for their support as they cascade services to the grassroots.
Among the other services for village folks are free haircut, massage therapy, job fairs, film shows and even recruitment booths for those interested to join the uniformed police and military personnel.
CSP and CMP teams also provide school children with school supplies and used clothing, conduct feeding program, free circumcision during school breaks and storytelling sessions.
In their Batangas engagements alone, beneficiaries turned up for the various community services: 800 townsfolk in Lian; 700 from Balayan; 600 from Calatagan and scores of other resident beneficiaries from Nasugbu and Calaca.
The free circumcision services also benefitted some 150 male teens in Balayan and 127 in Calatagan during the medical missions.
“We are also helping the informal settlers in Laiya Aplaya in San Juan, Batangas. Kasi doon na-influence na sila ng CPP-NPA-NDF, na-organize sila dahil ang isyu doon tungkol sa lupa (because there, they have been influenced by the CPP-NPA-NDF, they were organized because of the land issue),” he said, pointing to the violent mob incident last June this year when enraged settlers sparked the bloody clash where two security guards were mauled to death and 20 other civilians were wounded.
He admitted the incident was a big challenge for Task Force Ugnay when they uncovered the organized informal settlers were influenced by groups such as the militant and left-leaning Anak-Pawis, Gabriela and other communist front organizations.
Task Force Ugnay has been holding dialogues and informal discussions with the settlers in coordination with the municipal government of San Juan, Batangas, along with the private property owner, who offered the relocation site.
“Napakiusapan natin sila to avail of the relocation site. Bilang tulong na rin para mapabilis ang pagawa ng kanilang mga bahay, na-request ko na maisama ang 514th Engineering Battalion para sa construction. At sila at ang property land owner nakatulong sa pagawa ng kanilang mga bahay (We convinced them to avail of the relocation site. As support to hasten the construction of their houses, I have requested the support of the 514th Engineering Battalion for the construction and through the help of the property land owner, they constructed the houses),” Malapad said.
He said they were able to convince the mostly peasant and fisher folks to abandon the misguided cause of the communist fronts and the settlers are now very supportive of the community projects in their area.
“Pag may mga returnees, (if there would be rebel returnees) we turn them over to the 202 Brigade, to facilitate the benefits for them under the government’s E-CLIP (Enhanced Comprehensive Livelihood Program) and we only assist them as they return to normal lives. They are first housed in the so-called “Happy House” for debriefing, livelihood capacity building before they are back to the mainstream,” Malapad expounded.
He said similar troops are assigned in Bulacan, especially in Tungkong Mangga, San Jose del Monte town, where informal settlers organized into the Samahan ng Magsasaka ng Tungkong Mangga and illegally occupied the farm lands, have been affected by the land issue over the proposed MRT 7 construction.
Here, the Task Force Ugnay is conducting information drive among the settlers, who have been infiltrated by the communist fronts and were tapped to join in mass rallies, protests and demonstrations in Metro Manila.
“These settlers were easily tapped to join rallies, kasi malapit lang sila. Marami, at ang pinakamahinang mahakot nila diyan, ay mga 5 to 6 truckloads in buses or jeepneys. Through our dialogues, napaliwanag natin wala na silang nahakot na mga rallyista doon. (because they are just near. They could easily be tapped with at the very least 5 to 6 truckloads in buses or jeepneys. Through dialogues, we explained to them and since then there were no rallyists mobilized from there.) And they are now cooperating with the government,” he said.
He also looks forward to the disturbance compensation, which is now under negotiation for the affected informal settlers – who are willing to be relocated and be compensated once a dialogue with the MRT 7 project proponents takes place.
He also pointed to the series of encounters involving the Dumagats, who were coerced or influenced by militant groups and the insurgents in the slopes of the Sierra Madre mountain range in the remote Barangay Umiray in General Nakar, Quezon.
During the encounters there, the military recovered several improvised explosive devices (IEDs), which the government forces described as the rebels’ “factory area for the IEDs” and main training camp.
The rebels used the IEDs in their attacks against police personnel like the incidents in Antipolo City and Baras, Rizal last February this year.
While some military combatants were killed, the operations, however, led to the surrenders of scores of IP insurgents – who also divulged the hordes of IEDs and led government troops to unearth other firearms and ammunitions from their lairs in the hinterlands.
“Even during the encounters, we have already deployed the CSP-CMP joint teams there, who are always together in delivering basic services for the IPs, the staging of the IP summit and dialogues facilitated by the 92nd IB,” Malapad said.
The Task Force Ugnay’s activities have spread through Nasugbu, Lian, Calatagan, Calaca, Balayan, and San Juan towns in Batangas and in Sariaya, Quezon to as far as San Jose del Monte, Bulacan and Barangay Umiray in General Nakar, Quezon.
The Task Force’s volunteerism and manpower support have engaged villagers in partnership with government agencies, such as inspection of trees through the DENR on possible housing materials especially for informal settlers in Laiya Aplaya in San Juan Batangas; construction of Parents’ Lounge for the Day Care Center in Barangay Balibago in Calatagan, Batangas;
The conduct of coastal clean-up in the Calaca shorelines; Taekwondo training for the Balayan children; clearing up operations for landslide-affected area in Barangay San Diego, Lian; repair of barangay roads in several barangays in Balayan; school symposium in Calaca;
Dialogues with leaders, house visitations and security patrols such as informal interactions with youth leaders and students; “pulong-pulong” with Santol Farmers Association and the Balikatan People’s Alliance in Balayan; dialogues with farmers and fisherfolks in San Juan, Batangas; partnership signing; group discussions with “Bantay Kapayapaan” in San Juan and Balayan on patrol missions.
“May political will ang ating Presidente Duterte na ma-totally eradicate ang insurgency. Lalo pa kami sisipagin because our Commander-in-Chief is very eager, kaya kami sa baba ganun din. Para ma-eradicate ang insurgency na naging balakid sa development (our President Duterte has the political will to totally eradicate insurgency. We are even more inspired to work knowing our Commander-in-Chief is very eager, so even to us on the ground are challenged to eradicate insurgency which hinders development),” Malapad said.
He said the AFP is addressing insurgency using the “whole of nation” approach as formula to achieve long-lasting peace and attain progress and development, in partnership with various government agencies, police, LGUs, concerned citizens and the NGOs.
“Marami pang areas na (there are more areas that) we are projected to embark on our undertakings in MIMARO (Mindoro Oriental/Occidental, Marinduque, Romblon). We have troops there this year. By next year, we have 201st in Quezon. We have plans where peace and development should cascade to the geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas (GIDAs), doon tayo (we should be there),” he said.
Meanwhile, Benjie delos Reyes, chair of Barangay San Diego in Lian town, Batangas narrated to the PNA how their village was beset with problems arising from some agrarian issues that have affected upland farmers, resulting in the arrest of some members from their ranks.
“Sa awa ng Dios ay tahimik na ang Barangay San Diego, sa pangunguna ni Sec. Dennis Hernandez ay naibigay po sa mga tao yung CLOA kung saan lahat po ng mga magsasaka ay naninirahan sa barangay. Nagpasalamat po ako sa aking mga kasama at nariyan ang lahat ng suporta (By God’s grace, our Barangay San Diego is now peaceful, though the initiative of Sec. Dennis Hernandez (Presidential Assistant for Southern Tagalog), the CLOAS (Certificate of Land Ownership Award) for the farmers who are residents in the barangay. I also thank my colleagues who have thrown their support),” delos Reyes said.
He said the San Diego village agrarian reform farmer-beneficiaries are now tilling their own land. They were provided with vegetable and mango seeds for their farm lands in the basically fishing and farming village inhabited by more than 4,000 people.
“Sadya pong nararamdaman at ako po ay natutuwa. Kung ano po yung mga gawain at obligasyon nila ay naroon po Katulad po sa pagkakaroon ng mga bangka, dahil karamihan po sa amin ay mahihirap po lamangsila at natulong sa aming barangay. Kami po ay lumalapit sa kanila kung ano po ang problema sa aming barangay. (We now feel the developments and I am so happy. Whatever work and obligation they (Task Force Ugnay) have, they are always around and are helping our barangay. We approach them to discuss our problems. For instance, our concerns for the need for fishing bancas, because the majority of us are poor),” the San Diego village chief shared.
