Army strengthens ties with farmers

From the Visayan Daily Star (Jun 22, 2019): Army strengthens ties with farmers

The 79th Infantry Battalion of the Philippine Army recently spearheaded a two-day tripartite workshop at Balay Kauswagan in Sagay City that was attended by 113 leaders of 28 farmer associations in Negros Occidental.

The activity aims to empower the farmers and combat social injustices so they will not be influenced by the communist rebels, Lt. Col. Emelito Thaddeus Logan, commanding officer of the 79IB, said, adding that it will also uplift the socio-economic well-being of the farmers.

He said they are trying to bridge the gap in terms of basic social services by bringing the government closer to its people. “As we introduced a collaborative approach in addressing social issues, we let the people in the grassroots level identify their own issues to ensure a collective and community-based approach,” he said.

Logan said the participants were informed about the atrocities of the New People’s Army, as well as their land-grabbing schemes. He added that the farmers were also told to stay vigilant and to ask help from the government if ever they encounter problems in the future.

He said their initiative has inspired farmer's organizations to trust the government and its programs, especially on land reforms.

http://www.visayandailystar.com/2019/June/22/topstory11.htm