Mindanao road projects vital to government counterinsurgency campaign–Army

From the Business Mirror (Oct 11): Mindanao road projects vital to government counterinsurgency campaign–Army

A former antiterror unit commander here said the road projects in Mindanao are “very vital” in government’s counterinsurgency campaign, citing the ensuing economic activities in formerly unreachable areas.

Army Col. Erwin Bernard L. Neri said the road projects have made formerly difficult to reach places more accessible to tourists seeking natural attractions.

Neri, the commander of the Army’s 1001st Infantry Brigade, said “constructing roads contribute much to help solve the insurgency problem” by allowing more tourists to visit far-flung areas, which creates employment to local residents.

“The roads that the Army built are now crisscrossing the towns of Compostela Valley, giving access to many tourist destinations,” he said during the Comval Tourism Month Awarding and Culmination Day on September 29 in Tagum City.

However, he said the activities of the New People’s Army in the region still pose a problem, although they remain manageable.

Neri updated provincial officials on the state of security and peace and order in the province, where Engr. Edwin Ortiz of the provincial District Engineer’s Office also gave updates on the development in the Tourism Road Infrastructure Priority Projects.

Meanwhile, the provincial government held training on construction works for former guerrilla fighters and former drug dependents who surrendered to the government.

They were sent to a 20-day construction work on eight duplex housing units, equivalent to 16 housing units, in Barangay Pasian, Monkayo town, under the Aftercare Program for drug surrenderees and the Comprehensive Local Integration Program for guerrilla surrenderees.

The construction training falls under the province’s Operation Plan Liwanag on community-based rehabilitation sessions.

Holcim Philippines was a partner of the provincial government in the undertaking, providing 400 bags of cement to the units to be constructed at the New Berjaya GK Village. The provincial government gave P100 daily allowance to the trainees.

On the other hand, the province would require the 58,000 beneficiaries of the conditional cash transfer program to undergo Family Development Sessions.

The recently formed Provincial Spiritual Development and Values Restoration Council would initiate the sessions.

https://businessmirror.com.ph/mindanao-road-projects-vital-to-government-counterinsurgency-campaign-army/