Kalinaw News: Army’s 301st Brigade supports RTF-ELCAC 6’s AKAP-KAPATID Program

From Kalinaw News (Feb 23, 2021): Army’s 301st Brigade supports RTF-ELCAC 6’s AKAP-KAPATID Program



CAMP HERNANDEZ, Dingle, Iloilo– As one of the member-agencies of the Regional Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (RTF-ELCAC 6), the Army’s 301st Infantry (Bayanihan) Brigade never failed to support the new project of
the task force dubbed “Akap Kapatid Program”.

The Akap – Kapatid Program (AKP) is a uniquely designed intervention program that employs collaborative response among the members of the RTF-ELCAC. It was spearheaded by the DSWD Region 6 and supported by other member-agencies of the RTF-ECLAC 6 and other volunteer non-government organizations.

The pilot program that opened on February 16, 2021, in one of the resorts in Botong, Oton, in the province of Iloilo was participated by 82 former rebels and NPA supporters from Calinog, Iloilo and Tapaz, Capiz. The program used a psychosocial approach, which focused on the 82 “balik-loob” mental health status in the context of the combined psychological factors and the surrounding social environment.

The AKAP aimed to integrate entirely the “balik-loob” personality of the participants through psychosocial intervention. The project was divided into two terms; the short-term program that focuses on the self-assessment, psychosocial program, and confidence-building of participants; and the long-term, which focuses on the general welfare of the “balik-loob” return to their community and live peacefully and sustainably.

BGen Marion R Sison, the Commander of the 301st Infantry (Bayanihan) Brigade said that this endeavor immensely helps the reintegration of the former rebels and mass supporters in the mainstream society.

“This program is a perfect venue for all the participants to learn something new, know themselves better, and discover more about their government and their significant role in nation building as they go back to the folds of the law,” Sison added.

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https://www.kalinawnews.com/armys-301st-brigade-supports-rtf-elcac-6s-akap-kapatid-program/