33 FRs in Agusan Norte, Butuan receive assistance

 From the Philippine Information Agency (Jan 4, 2021): 33 FRs in Agusan Norte, Butuan receive assistance (By LGU Agusan del Norte) 

BUTUAN CITY, Jan. 4 -- Another 33 former rebels (FRs) from Agusan del Norte and Butuan City received assistance in an activity recently attended by the four department secretaries of the national government and local officials.

The package, handed over to FRs during the Awarding of Assistance to FRs and Interfacing of Regional Task Force ELCAC and Regional Task Force for COVID-19 One Caraga Shield (RTF COCS) in Butuan City, included cash, food packs, hygiene kits, and personal items.

Sec. Eduardo Año of the Department Interior and Local Government, Sec. Delfin Lorenzana of the Department of National Defense, Sec. Francisco Duque III of the Department of Health and Sec. Carlito Galvez, Jr. of the Office of the Presidential Assistant on the Peace Process personally awarded the package to the FRS.

Gov. Dale B. Corvera, chairperson of both the Caraga Regional Development Council and RTF COCS as well as Rep. Maria Angelica Rosedell Amante-Matba of the 2nd District of Agusan del Norte and other officials of Caraga also attended the event.

In his welcome message, Gov. Corvera shared how the region responded to the pressing issues surrounding insurgency while mitigating the effects of the pandemic.

He added that at this point, the region focused on efforts at improving the local economy while managing the risk of the pandemic and at the same time, ensured that the strong partnership and collaboration of the stakeholders in the fight against insurgency is sustained until the end of the problem.

“As chairperson of the Regional Development Council, RTF COCS and Agusan del Norte Peace and Order Council, it is our pride that so far, we are the only region throughout the country to have a regional peacebuilding initiatives, the Caraga roadmap for peace which is aligned to the goals of EO70 in ending the Local Communist Armed Conflict by addressing not only insurgency but also the other major conflict lines like criminality, resourced based conflicts, and issues and challenges of the Indigenous People living therein,” Gov. Corvera said. (Karen Kie V. Decamotan, Agusan Up, LGU Agusan del Norte/PIA Agusan del Norte)

https://pia.gov.ph/news/articles/1062939