P26.9-M aid released to ex-rebels in E. Visayas in 5 years

From the Philippine News Agency (Sep 5, 2023): P26.9-M aid released to ex-rebels in E. Visayas in 5 years (By Sarwell Meniano)

ASSISTANCE. A former rebel receives a check from the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) during a ceremony inside a military camp in Borongan City, Eastern Samar in this February 22, 2023 photo. DILG has released PHP26.92 million worth of assistance to 514 former rebels in Eastern Visayas in the past five years as part of its Enhanced Comprehensive Livelihood Integration Program (E-CLIP). (PNA photo courtesy of DILG)

TACLOBAN CITY – The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) has released PHP26.92 million worth of assistance to 514 former rebels in Eastern Visayas in the past five years as part of its Enhanced Comprehensive Livelihood Integration Program (E-CLIP).

During a forum at the Tacloban Convention Center on Tuesday, DILG Undersecretary for Peace and Order Oscar Valenzuela said their office has been active in assisting surrenderers from the New People’s Army (NPA) in the region since 2018 when the Office of the President formed the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC).

“Recipients are regular members of the NPA and Militia ng Bayan (MB) who surfaced on April 3, 2018, onwards and have expressed the desire to abandon armed violence and become productive members of the society,” Valenzuela said.

In the region, 214 of the 514 former rebels who received the assistance as of August 2023 are NPA combatants, and 290 are MB members.

MB refers to indoctrinated individuals who may or may not be directly involved in violent armed struggle but, when organized, can provide mass support to NPA.

The package of support includes PHP15 million immediate assistance, PHP11.2 million for livelihood, PHP3.25 million for the remuneration of surrendered firearms, PHP5 million for reintegration assistance, and PHP15 million for the construction of three halfway houses.

Halfway houses help former rebels rebuild their lives shattered by years of armed rebellion.

They undergo social healing, reconciliation, and spiritual enhancement sessions inside the shelter for five to six months to prepare them for reintegration into the mainstream community.

The DILG-administered aid consists of immediate assistance of PHP15,000 to each surrenderer, PHP50,000 livelihood support to each former regular NPA member, PHP21,000 reintegration assistance, and firearms remuneration (double the amount of the surrendered firearms).

The E-CLIP is developed to avoid/prevent delays in the release of Financial Assistance to FRs and Receiving Units. The information and data derived from it are crucial in providing evidence-based analytics for decision-making, planning, program management, monitoring, and evaluation.

Since July 5, 2018, the DILG has been administering the provision of assistance packages to former rebels from the NPA and MB who surfaced and wanted to return to the fold of the law and become productive citizens of society.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1209262