GINGOOG City government plans to give out a total of P18 million worth of livelihood programs to jumpstart peoples organizations’ income, a military official said Tuesday.
Army’s 4th Infantry Division spokesman and public affairs chief Major Rodulfo Cordero said the recipients—about 1,5000 individuals —would be getting the livelihood in loanable amounts that started already.
Earlier, two hundred fifty leaders of different Gingoog City’s underground mass organizations (UGMO) withdrew their support from the New People’s Army (NPA).
Cordero said these 250 individuals even took their oaths of allegiance to the government.
Cordero said the mass withdrawing of support from the NPA rebels was the result of the retooled community support program (RCSP) operation efforts by the Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (TF-ELCAC) with the special participations of local officials, stakeholders and the communities.
Army’s 58th Infantry Battalion civil-military officer 1st Lieutenant Jefferson Mariano said the LGU of Gingoog City during the said activity on October 21, offered the amount worth of livelihood.
Mariano said Gingoog officials, Mayor Erick Cañosa and vice mayor Peter Unabia were offered various livelihood programs from the national government to the former mass supporters of the New People’s Army (NPA).
He said the programs and projects include cacao production, fish cage culture, corn production, and livestock and poultry livelihood services such as animal dispersal program.
“This creates opportunities for farmers to uplift their living conditions and empower them to become more resilient,” said Mariano.
He said it attests to the government’s commitment to provide basic and social services to the vulnerable, marginalized, and conflict-affected communities.
The various programs are in line with the implementation of Executive Order No. 70 (EO70) which converges all government agencies to render the necessary support to end local communist armed conflict in the country.
“We will continue to collaborate with other government agencies like the military and the police to include the non-government organizations,” said Cañosa to help peoples organizations in their basic needs so that they will attain peace and development in the city.
Unabia also encouraged the farmers to help the government in attaining lasting peace through their cooperation, unity, and non-support to the terrorist groups.
Unabia even urged them to inform their families, relatives, and friends who are still in the armed group about the livelihood programs of the true government.
“Convince them to lay down their arms and return to the mainstream society,” said Unabia.
58IB commander Lt. Col. Ricky Canatoy said he is hoping that with the programs initiated by the city government they will be able to finally convince the remaining members of the communist rebels to abandon their armed struggle and return to the folds of the law.
“They can now avail the program anytime,” said Canatoy adding that the loanable funds will be given through peoples’ organization without a single interest.
“To those who wish to surrender, rest assured that your Philippines Army will assist you to avail the ECLIP program of the government,” Canatoy said. (Ben Balce)
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