J. Jala | Posted on May 29 at 8:00 p.m.
Ka Amad (not his real name) was formerly a team leader of the armed rebel group New Peoples Army (NPA).
According to him, their life was hard during the three years that they actively supported the group back in 2001.
His wife, who was a mass supporter, struggled too until they decided to leave in 2003.
“Our life then was much burdened and we struggled a lot when they always left us in the hinterlands with no enough foods,” Ka Amad said.
More than a decade after that, Ka Amad expressed his gratefulness for the assistance they’ve received from the government.
“I am so grateful that the government embraced my return warmly that until now I am receiving lots of assistance that could help our livelihood,” he said.
He along with 23 other former rebels were provided with P10,000 worth of goods for them to start a small livelihood.
It was the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) in Bohol who handed over Negosyo Kits to these former rebels during the turnover done on May 21-29, 2020.
Former Rebel recipients were from the municipalities of Antequera, Calape, Loon, Catigbian, Sevilla, Guindulman and Mabini.
The distribution was participated by the Philippine Army, Provincial Government of Bohol and the concerned Local Government Units in partnership with ALTURAS group of companies.
According to a news release from the Army’s 43rd Infantry Battalion based in Carmen, this activity is part of the strengthened programs of the National Tasked Force in Ending Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) and the Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integrated Program (ECLIP).
According to DTI, the P10,000 worth of Negosyo Kit is either goods to start a sari-sari store, “Bigasan” or a hog raising livelihood.
This will be monitored by the DTI for more assistance when needed.
“Aside from the Negosyo Kit, we have seminars and other DTI catered concerns that we can offer for them to address their concerns”, Marisol Balistoy, provincial director of DTI-Bohol, said.
“The recent activity is another successful milestone showing that the government is sincere in all its programs and services to address the insurgency issues in the country. Your Philippine Army is one with the other national and local agencies in merging efforts to maintain the peace and order in the province of Bohol,” the news release said.
Meanwhile, Lt. Col. Allan Tabudlo, commander of the Philippine Army’s 47th Infantry Battalion (47IB), reiterates their call for other rebels to “lay their arms and return to the mainstream of the society”.
“We encourage them to be part of this genuine peace that we are building,” he said.
