Bongabong, Oriental Mindoro Mayor Elgin Malaluan (Contributed photo)
BONGABONG, Oriental Mindoro – The municipal government here is now laying down its plans to guarantee that the "Balik Probinsya, Bagong Pag-asa" program or BP2 will be effective and give returning locals a good livelihood.
Mayor Elgin Malaluan said he is fully supporting the program, which could help end the insurgency problem by encouraging rebels to return to the community.
“Personally, I want this Balik Probinsya Program to be the avenue for rebels to surrender and be a part of the community again," he said in an interview on Friday.
According to him, there are some local governments that lack livelihood projects for surrenderers, the reason some of the rebels go back to the mountains. "To address that issue, our local government is preparing some jobs for them. We are collaborating with the Department of Trade and Industry and with the Department of Science and Technology,” Malaluan said.
Meanwhile, the mayor remains on guard after the lifting of the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) and travel ban on the island of Mindoro and continues to address the different challenges caused by the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic by helping his constituents not just financially but also by ensuring their overall well-being.
Just recently, Malaluan again donated at least PHP900,000 from his own pocket to help the 36 barangays of his municipality in their efforts to fight Covid-19.
The 36 barangays received PHP25,000 each, which they can utilize for their operations to fight the spread of the virus in the province.
To date, Malaluan said, they have already dispensed more or less PHP90 million for the relief operations, which benefited at least 21,000 households. Each family for the food supplies distribution received at least 75 kilos of rice, vitamins, milk, canned goods, dried fish, among others.
The senior citizens, meanwhile, were given one cavan (50 kilos) of rice, vitamin C, and organic milk for the fourth wave of relief operations.
Malaluan also led the distribution of the Social Amelioration Program (SAP) barely a week after the announcement of President Rodrigo Duterte regarding the assistance. His municipality was the first to distribute the financial aid in the entire Mimaropa Region.
Malaluan said for the SAP, they have released more than PHP49 million for almost 10,000 beneficiaries.
Aside from the funds coming from the local government, Malauan said they also received cash donations from private individuals, which totaled PHP2.6 million, of which more than PHP600,000 came from the mayor's personal donation. At least 350 cavans of rice were also donated to the municipality's residents.
“We never made any announcement soliciting money or a campaign to raise funds for our efforts to send supplies to barangays. I, personally was amazed and proud that the people of Bangabong have generous hearts. Families who have extra funds to share came to my office and voluntarily donated money – from PHP2, 000 to as big as PHP100, 000 while others donated sacks of rice and other produce, and it’s overwhelming. Even those who are working abroad and have been away for many years sent their donations,” he said.
Some LGUs in Mindoro have replicated the system and programs that the municipal government here has been applying and using to address the current health crisis.
https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1104193
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