DSWD-12 assesses ex-MILF combatants for aid rollout

From the Philippine News Agency (Oct 29, 2020): DSWD-12 assesses ex-MILF combatants for aid rollout (By Allen Estabillo)

Cezario Joel Espejo, Department of Social Welfare and Development-Region 12 director (Photo courtesy of DSWD-12)

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) in Region 12 (Soccsksargen) has started the assessment of members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) covered by the second phase of the decommissioning process in line with rollout of various government assistance.

Cezario Joel Espejo, DSWD-Region director, said they deployed their field personnel on Thursday to visit MILF camps and communities in parts of the region and its neighboring areas.

He said the move would ensure that all decommissioned combatants of the group will receive government assistance such as hospitalization, educational assistance, and livelihood grants.

“This is part of the continuing monitoring of the status of decommissioned combatants in the communities. Our social workers will revisit them to update their status,” Espejo said in a statement.

The official said the phased decommissioning of MILF forces, which was estimated at around 40,000 combatants, was part of peace agreement signed by the government and the group in 2014.

It aims to help former combatants transform into peaceful and productive citizens as provided for in the Annex on Normalization of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro.

Last year, a total of 12,145 former MILF combatants were decommissioned under the second phase of the process.

Under Executive Order (EO) 79, decommissioned MILF combatants are entitled to PHP80,000 in assistance under the Bangsamoro Transitory Family Support Package (BTFSP) and PHP20,000 as livelihood settlement grant.

The EO 79, which was issued by President Rodrigo Duterte in April last year, aims to reintegrate decommissioned MILF combatants to mainstream society through the provision of livelihood and other appropriate programs and services.

Norhata Benito, DSWD-12 normalization program head, said the BTFSP is outright cash assistance that may be used by the beneficiaries for their basic needs.

She said this includes food, hygiene kits, sleeping materials, kitchen and shelter kits, as well as medical, educational, and transportation needs.

“The livelihood grants may be used as seed capital to start a micro-enterprise or to purchase starter kits for the re-establishment of damaged livelihood,” she said.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1120093