Peace village to rise in conflict-stricken Samar town

From the Philippine News Agency (Jun 10, 2022): Peace village to rise in conflict-stricken Samar town (By Sarwell Meniano)

ANTI-INSURGENCY. Villagers in San Jose de Buan town, Samar province march during an anti-insurgency rally on Nov. 17, 2021. A Peace Builder Village will rise in the town to assist the growing number of former members of the New People’s Army yielding to the government. (Photo courtesy of Philippine Army)

 A Peace Builder Village will rise in San Jose de Buan town in Samar province to assist the growing number of former members of the New People’s Army (NPA) yielding to the government.

The local government and Philippine Army have yet to identify the specific site and come up with a proposed budget for the project, said 2nd Lt. Zyndyl Simon, spokesperson of the Army’s 87th Infantry Battalion, on Friday.

“San Jose de Buan Mayor Joaquin Elizalde really wants to establish this village since more rebels have been abandoning the communist terrorist group and (have) returned to their families,” Simon said in a phone interview.

Between 2020 to 2021, at least 16 active NPA members and staunch allies yielded to authorities and turned over several firearms in San Jose de Buan alone.

On June 6, the military and local government held a meeting to discuss the guidelines and procedures for site selection and construction of the Peace Builder Village.

“We had a consultation with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources to learn the rules and procedures in developing timberland areas,” she added.

The proposed village will have a permanent house for former rebels, a training center, and a farm lot for agriculture-related livelihood activities.

The village will also accommodate former rebels from nearby Samar towns.

The town is one of the NPA’s strongholds in Samar Island considering its strategic location within the tri-boundaries of Northern, Eastern, and Samar provinces.

The poor road network, thick forest, and high poverty incidence make the area vulnerable to NPA recruitment, according to the military.

The Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP)- NPA, which has been waging a five-decade armed struggle against the government, is listed as a terrorist organization by the United States, the 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 inseparable part” of the CPP-NPA that was created in April 1973.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1176344