The unit hosted a one-day event dubbed as Indigenous Peoples Leaders’ Summit 2020 that gathered tribal leaders from various IP communities within the area of responsibility of the battalion.
“This event aims to gather all the tribal leaders for them to be reoriented with the government programs and services and their basic rights. We need to educate them and provide them with the needed assistance in whatever form so that they will not be exploited,” Lt Col. Silas Trasmontero, the 89th IB commander, said.
Bearing the theme “Nagkahiusang Tribu Para Sa Kalinaw ug Kalambuan alang sa Katawhan,” the summit held at the headquarters of 89th IB in Barangay New Visayas that gathered a total of 80 tribal leaders from the towns of Santo Tomas in Davao del Norte, San Fernando and Kitaotao in Bukidnon, Barangay Tapak and Barangay Colosas, Paquibato District in Davao City.
The selected tribal leaders who attended the one-day summit learned about the concept of community development, entrepreneurship, peace and order, Indigenous People’s Right Act (IPRA) law, Communist Terrorist Group (CTG) exploitation, and farming.
Empowered IPs
Guest lecturers from National Anti-Poverty Commission, National Commission on Indigenous Peoples, and Land Bank of the Philippines (LBP) and ARB consultant also discussed to the tribal leaders the different programs and services that their national agencies could offer to the tribal communities.
Apart from this, the summit was also focused on lectures about the tribal leader’s fundamental human and political rights, empowerment, culture and some discussions on ancestral domain.
“Through this summit, we, are actually empowering them. All these relevant information that they learned here would shield them from the twisted and deceptive propaganda of the communist terrorists,” Ltc Trasmontero said.
He also underscored the importance of the holding the summit for the indigenous peoples, saying “it serves as a sounding board where tribal leaders can freely and openly express their issues and concerns to the military in the hope that it can be addressed through fruitful dialogue and interventions from different government agencies.”
“Holding the summit allows us to engage with them. We want to send a strong message that the government is here for them. Hearing their concerns would give us a hint as to how we can carry out projects, programs and activities that could improve their plight,” he said.
Meanwhile, 1003rd IB Brigade Commander, BGen Nolasco A Mempin has urged the tribal leaders to avail the programs and services offered by the government.
“We appeal to them to avail the gov’t services, and programs. By doing so, we can find an area where we can assist them using our present resources,” Bgen Mempin said.
He also emphasized that the whole force of the AFP is doing its best to improve the lives of the IPs and to protect them from the deceptive tactics of the communists which, he said, is an affront to the IPs right to self-governance and empowerment.
Indeed, 89th Infantry (Makatao) Battalion will continue to live to its name ‘Makatao” by continuously capacitating IP Leaders in its area of jurisdiction to establish a conflict-resilient and developed IP communities.
[Kalinaw News is the official online source of information on the pursuit for peace in the Philippines This website is a property of the Civil-Military Operations Regiment, Philippine Army located at Lawton Avenue, Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City. Contact us: kalinawnews@cmoregiment.com]
https://www.kalinawnews.com/89th-infantry-makatao-battalion-hosts-ip-leaders-summit-2020/
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