HR DAY // Lumad IDPs Benefit from Community Outreach Program

From DWDD AFP Civil Relations Service Radio Website (Dec 10): HR DAY // Lumad IDPs Benefit from Community Outreach Program

LA PAZ, Agusan Del Sur (DWDD) – In commemoration of the Human Rights Consciousness Week and the International Human Rights Day on December 10, 2015, soldiers of the 8th Infantry Battalion, 4th Infantry Division, Philippine Army organized a community outreach program for the Talaandig Lumads of Sitio Ilian, Brgy. Kasapa 2, La Paz, Agusan del Sur, who fled to Cabanglasan town in the province of Bukidnon due to NPA attacks and harassments. The activity was conducted in Brgy. Freedom of said municipality yesterday, December 9, 2015, around 9:00 am, and was made possible through the collaboration and partnership of Bukidnon Pulangui River Lion’s Club, Soriano Philippines Community Health Foundation and the local government unit of Cabanglasan. Some 21 families coming from the IDPs and around 1,000 residents benefitted from the services brought by the group which include tooth extraction, medical consultation, giving of free medicines and vitamins, giving of reading glasses, distribution of used clothes and relief packs to IDPs, circumcision and free haircut service.

It can be recalled that on November 19, 2015, around 6:00 am, residents reported that a certain Angelito Tilocan, a resident of Sitio Miaray, Brgy. Mandahican, Cabanglasan Bukidnon, was forcibly taken by armed persons who were identified as NPA rebels coming from Guerilla Front 6 of the North Central Mindanao Regional Committee. While on November 23, 2015, around 2:30 pm, NPA bandits under Junie Tilocan alias WATIWIT of Pulang Bagani Yunit, Section Committee 89 and Alfredo Banawan alias ALAB of Guerilla Front 6, attacked a community in Manggaud, Sitio Miaray of same barangay.

Only recently, the Talaandig tribe led by Lilongan Bucalas or Datu Manlomakad evacuated from their small village in La Paz town due to repeated attacks of NPA bandits against their local villagers. Foremost among these attacks and harassments was on October 3, 2015 when on that fateful moment, Rene Bucalas or Datu Manhadukan Sandigan, one of their tribal elders and brother of Manlomakad, was brutally killed by the rebels coming from the Pulang Bagani Yunitor SPP1, Section Committee 89, North Central Mindanao Regional Committee under a fellow Lumad, Junie Tilocan alias WATIWIT.

Datu Manlomakad has expressed his gratefulness to the group and has given his appreciation for the 8th Infantry Battalion for organizing such an event. “Daghan kaayong salamat kaninyo tanan sa inyong maayong kasing-kasing. Salamat kaayo sa mga kasundaluhan.Tinuod jud nga kamo ang amoang masaligan.” (Thank you so much to all of you. You all have a good heart. Thank you so much to the soldiers. Indeed, we can depend on you.) says Datu Manlomakad.

Meantime, the 8th Infantry Battalion expresses its gratefulness to its partners, the LGU of Cabanglasan, Bukidnon, the Bukidnon Pulangui River Lion’s Club and Soriano Philippines Community Health Foundation. Indeed, it is in our Bayanihan (collaboration) that we can come up with an unequalled effort in ensuring that our less fortunate brothers, especially the Lumads who have been victims of the exploitations of the NPA and all its cohorts, will be able to benefit from the services that our democratic society can give. It is in our Bayanihan (collaboration) that we can truly be set free from the bondage of poverty and win the peace in our Filipino community.   CMO 8IB / MCAG

http://dwdd.com.ph/2015/hr-day-lumad-idps-benefit-community-outreach-program/