Peace village leads to NPA’s downfall in Leyte

From the Philippine News Agency (Dec 23, 2021): Peace village leads to NPA’s downfall in Leyte (By Sarwell Meniano)

PEACE VILLAGE. Houses under construction within the Peace and Prosperity Village in San Isidro, Leyte. The outpouring support from the government for former rebels at the Peace and Prosperity Village here will give them no reason to again embrace the ideology of the New People’s Army (NPA), a former rebel commander said in an interview on Dec. 20, 2021. (PNA photo by Sarwell Meniano)

SAN ISIDRO, Leyte – The outpouring of support from the government for former rebels at the Peace and Prosperity Village here will give them no reason to again embrace the ideology of the New People’s Army (NPA), a former rebel commander said.

"Ka (short for comrade) Mayang", 50, said that even if their location is remote, they receive enough attention from both national and local governments to help rebuild their lives shattered by years of armed conflict.

“I joined the NPA when I was 15 because I aspired to help people alleviate poverty. However, I was able to realize that the NPA has no means to help improve the lives of people. I am happy now that I am with the government to help people fulfill what they aspire for,” Mayang told a Philippine News Agency (PNA) team who visited their village on December 20.

She is the provincial federation president of the Integrated Peace and Development Workers Association, a group of former rebels.

Known as Ka Mayang to the Communist Party of the Philippines–NPA and rebel-influenced communities in Leyte Island, she has been leading a big group of former rebels in establishing the Peace and Prosperity Village in this town’s Daja Daku, an upland community.

Among the assistance being provided to the former rebels is the construction of 458 units of permanent houses, livelihood training, provision of capital, farm-related technical skills, new access roads, product development, marketing, among others.

The PHP20-million housing project was one of the promises of President Rodrigo Duterte during his visit to San Isidro town last Jan. 23, 2020, and part of the Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program (E-CLIP) of the government.

Each housing unit will have a modal lot size of 60 square meters (sqm) and a floor area of 21 sqm. Each house and lot package costs PHP450,000.

Access to the village is also ongoing with the PHP67 million road concreting project from the main road to the site.

Another infrastructure project under construction is the PHP235 million road from the village to nearby Calubian town.

Just this week, the Department of Agrarian Reform completed the distribution of 2,000 square meters farm lot to each of the 458 former rebels.

“Everything is here already. There’s no reason for people to listen to the communist NPA. We have to trust the government since they have all the resources to provide our needs,” she told the PNA.

Since last year, former rebels from the towns of Calubian and San Isidro have been cultivating part of the land donated by the Leyte provincial government.

Within the area, the local government also provided 22 poultry egg-laying facilities or two for each of the 11 associations with about 700 members.

Most of these surrenderers were recruited by Mayang from the 1990s to early 2000. After her last arrest in 2007, Mayang has been instrumental in convincing hundreds of rebels in Leyte to trust the government.

Mayang joined the NPA in 1986 and later became a commander in Leyte, Southern Leyte, and Biliran provinces. It was in 2003 when the national NPA leadership ordered her to lead the terror group's front organization in the region.

In 2006, soldiers captured her in San Isidro town and detained her at the camp in Kananga town for three months until she managed to escape and rejoined her cadres for a year.

“I was sleeping when soldiers barged into my hiding place in Leyte, Leyte. That was the time when I told them that I would cut ties with the NPA and assist the government,” she recalled.

Mayang has been separated from her common-law husband since her last capture, they don't have any children.

Forming the NPA surrenderers into a group of peace and development workers has led to the downfall of NPA in Leyte Island since they convinced others to lay down their firearms, according to Army’s 93rd Infantry Battalion commander Lt. Col. Arnold Lozada.

“We will continue to extend our sincere efforts to help those remaining members and supporters of the communist terrorist group in the island of Leyte who wish to return to the mainstream of our society and be a part of the whole of nation approach in ending the local communist armed conflict,” Lozada added.

The Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP)-NPA is listed as a terrorist organization by the United States, European Union, the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the Philippines.

The Anti-Terrorism Council also formally designated the National Democratic Front as a terrorist organization on June 23, 2021, citing it as “an integral and separate part” of the CPP-NPA that was created in April 1973.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1163530