Wednesday, December 12, 2018

3 settlement sites awarded to former breakaway rebels in NegOcc

From the Philippine News Agency (Dec 12): 3 settlement sites awarded to former breakaway rebels in NegOcc



ASSISTANCE TO EX-REBELS. Former members of a breakaway rebel group in Negros Occidental receive settlement areas as part of the government’s commitment to the peace pact signed 18 years ago.(From left) Environment Assistant Secretary Joan Lagunda, Negros Occidental Governor Alfredo Marañon Jr., Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Special Assistant to the Secretary Milo Ibrado Jr., and Kapatiran chair Veronica Tabara attended the Community-Based Forest Management Agreement Awarding Ceremony held at the Social Hall of the Provincial Capitol in Bacolod City on Tuesday (December 11, 20118).  (Photo courtesy of Richard Malihan/Negros Occidental Capitol PIO) 
 
BACOLOD CITY -- Former members of a breakaway rebel group in Negros Occidental were awarded settlement areas as part of the government’s commitment to the peace pact signed 18 years ago.

The profiled beneficiaries belong to the Tabara-Paduano Group of the Rebolusyonaryong Partido ng Manggagawa ng Pilipinas/Revolutionary Proletarian Army-Alex Boncayao Brigade (RPM-P/RPA-ABB), which took on the name Kapatiran para sa Progresibong Panlipunan Inc. as part of its institutional transformation.


“Tutulong ang OPAPP (Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process) sa amin para magkaroon ng housing (The OPAPP will assist us in putting up housing),” said Kapatiran chairperson Veronica Tabara, who represented her group during the Community-Based Forest Management Agreement (CBFMA) Awarding Ceremony held at the Social Hall of the provincial capitol here on Tuesday.

She noted that under the peace agreement, they have agreed to stay together in one area as part of the cessation of hostilities.

“We will build houses and set up livelihood projects based on the tenurial instrument under the guidelines of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Community Resource Management Framework Plan,” she said.

Environment Assistant Secretary Joan Lagunda and OPAPP Special Assistant to the Secretary Milo Ibrado Jr., with Governor Alfredo Marañon Jr., led the awarding of the peace and development community sites.

The three settlement areas covered by the CBFMAs are located in Kabankalan City, for 80 beneficiaries; Cadiz City, 73 beneficiaries; and San Carlos City, about 180 beneficiaries.

The CBFMA is covered by the memorandum of agreement as tenurial instrument within the protected area where members of the Kapatiran serve as forest guards.

Lagunda said the DENR is committed to provide employment to the beneficiaries by hiring them as forest guards.

Ibrado said the aim is to fulfill the commitments of the peace agreement between the government and the RPM-P/RPA-ABB before the end of President Rodrigo Duterte’s term in 2022.

“There was an implementing document during the time of former president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, but it was not very clear. We have a final implementing document that will define all aspects of implementation and majority of these programs and projects will be implemented in three years from now,” he added.

The RPM-P/RPA-ABB, a breakaway group of the New People’s Army (NPA), signed the peace agreement with the government on December 6, 2000.

They later split into two -- the Tabara-Paduano Group (TPG) led by Veronica Tabara and Stephen Paduano, and the Nilo de la Cruz Group.

Eventually, it was only the TPG which continued the process of finalizing a draft closure agreement with the government.


http://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1056421

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