Saturday, September 5, 2020

Army calls on rebels to embrace renewed lives with families

From the Philippine News Agency (Sep 5, 2020): Army calls on rebels to embrace renewed lives with families (By Jason De Asis)



HARVEST. Brig. Gen. Andrew Costelo, commander of 703rd Infantry (Agila) Brigade (rightmost) joins in the harvesting of some vegetables and agricultural crops planted together by the military troops and former NPA rebels in a one-hectare land in Sitio Dimanagsag, Barangay Calabuanan, Baler, Aurora on Friday, September 4, 2020. Costelo urged anew NPA rebels to abandon their armed struggle and return to the fold of the law. (Photo by Jason de Asis)

BALER, Aurora – The Philippine Army (PA) has urged the remaining New People’s Army (NPA) fighters in the mountains to follow the footsteps of their former comrades who abandoned the terrorist communist movement and are now embracing renewed lives with their families and communities.

Brig. Gen. Andrew Costelo, commander of 703rd Infantry (Agila) Brigade, made the call during the Sinagtala Farm 2nd Harvest Festival on Friday where military troops and former rebels harvested together some vegetables and agricultural crops they planted together in a one-hectare land in Sitio Dimanagsag, Barangay Calabuanan here.

Costelo lauded the Army 91st Infantry (Sinagtala) Battalion for its efforts in helping the former rebels become productive members of the society through vegetable gardening.


He was elated over the learning experiences of the former rebels that will become their tool once they will be home in their communities.

“The Sinagtala troopers and former rebels initially harvested more or less 60 kilos of chili peppers and 10 kilos of eggplant. We are happy to the efforts of our troops and the former rebels and we encourage them to take seriously the impart knowledge and technique in proper planting of fruits and vegetables,” Costelo said.

Meanwhile, Lt. Col. Reandrew Rubio, 91IB commanding officer, said the program is in close collaboration with the provincial government of Aurora and other national government agencies in support of the national government's “Plant, Plant, Plant” program where the beneficiaries are the former rebels.

Rubio said the former NPA rebels have been trained into vegetable gardening to prepare them as they go back to their respective families and communities.

Last June 4, the Sinagtala soldiers and former rebels started to plant 4,500 chili peppers, 1,000 eggplants, and 150 papaya seedlings in the area.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1114512

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