IP Deped schools prevent ‘lumad’ to join NPAs: 4ID execs

GUIDED by the Department of Education in Surigao del Sur, the opening of two newly built Indigenous Peoples (IP) schools  next month may now discourage lumad youth to join the New People’s Army (NPA), a military officials said Thursday.

The military even denied the claim of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) on the alleged order from the military and the education department to close ‘lumad’ schools.

“Likely, the Deped and the military in the area confirm that it did not order the closure of any IP school,” said Army’s 4th Infantry Division public affairs chief Major Rodulfo Cordero.

“Both the military and Deped maintain that they did not order the closure of any school serving  Indigenous Peoples (IP) learners in this part of the country,” said Cordero.

Two years ago, Cordero said it was reported that a Salugpongan learning center (part of Davao region) was closed upon the orders of the Department.

“It was already clarified that the closure of Salugpongan Ta ‘Tanu Igkanogon Community Learning Center in Davao del Norte was a decision by the IP community council,” said Cordero.

Cordero said in a press conference held on December 3, 2018, stated that the closure of a Salugpongan learning center was a community decision supported by a resolution issued by the IP community council.

On Wednesday, Cordero also said two IP Deped makeshift schools in Sitio Simowao Diatagon, Lianga and Sitio Lucnodon, Mahaba Marihatag in Surigao Del Sur Surigao del Sur were completed and ready for use upon the resumption of classes on October.

“These schools will provide quality education and will replace the communist-linked Tribal Filipino Program in Surigao Del Sur (TRIFPSS) to prevent radicalization and NPA recruitment of IP youth,” said Cordero.

“These new IP Deped schools would add to the government’s already pro- lumads policies,” said Cordero.

Meanwhile, Army’s 3rd Special Forces Battalion civil military officer 1st Lieutenant Krisjuper Andreo J Punsalan said  the IP schools are part of the peace development programs of the CARAGA Regional Task Force in Ending Local Communist Armed Conflict (RTF-ELCAC).

Punsalan also denied the alleged closing of NPA-linked IP schools as ordered by the military.

“We did not really focus on closing the alleged NPA terrorist-linked TRIFPSS or ALCADEV schools. Rather, we put our time and efforts to lay the foundation in building DepEd schools so that our IP community can have an option,” Punsalan said.

Punsalan said  the IPs have chosen to enroll in the IP Deped schools as these were their request to have Deped  accredited IP schools in their communities.

He said almost a hundred IP youth were already enrolled in the two IP Deped schools as of this time.

“IP youth may now be encouraged to go to school instead of joining the rebel movement,” Punsalan said.

He said RTF-ELCAC was composed of Surigao Sur Provincial government and Regional Peace and Order Committee Chairman Alexander T. Pimentel, Regional Development Council-Social Development Committee (RDC-SDC) Chairman and Bayugan City Mayor Kirk A. Asis, Deped regional director Francis Cesar B. Bringas, the IP Tribal Councils and Local Government Units (LGU) of Marihatag and Lianga.

The 544th Engineer Battalion under Lt. col. Rodel V. Pangilinan served as the workforce while the 3rd SF Battalion under Lt. Col. Joey B Baybayan set the groundwork and security through the conduct of the Community Support Program (CSP), according to Punsalan.

Punsalan said the CSP was one of the mechanisms of the Whole of Nation Approach to End Local Communist Armed Conflict.

Contrary to the false reports that Deped are closing IP schools in Surigao,  Deped provincial superintendent Josita Carmen said the reports were not true.

The Deped in the Province of Surigao del Sur worked hard in opening DepEd IP schools to provide quality education, according to Carmen.

She said Surigao Sur DepEd office mulls a systematic and practical approach to provide quality education to cope up despite the new normal brought by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We are working on a practical approach for the continuous delivery of IP Education despite the pandemic and the new normal in the hinterlands and we will propose it to the IATF,” Carmen said.

“We refute and we can prove, without blurring our faces, that militant group MAPASU, Save Our Schools are spreading fake news saying that the government and the military are abusing the IP community,” Lianga Tribal chieftain, Datu Constancio Duhac said.

Duhac along with tribal and sitio leaders said they worked to build ‘genuine IP schools’ for their children to stop NPA terrorists’ exploitation and recruitment.

“This is what the tribe dreamt of and we thank the government for fulfilling it,” said Duhac.

Lianga IP Mandatory representative Jumar Bucales (Datu Nahikyad) said that communist NPA rebels and its allies are working so hard to discredit the government efforts through their propaganda in various platforms of social media.

“If they are genuine enough (MAPASU and Save Our Schools), they should have joined and helped the legitimate IP leaders like us in our efforts to bring hope to our children instead of attacking us and accusing us  as paramilitary,” said Bucales adding that they will not allow MAPASU, Save Our Schools and their cohorts from exploiting their children again.

First  flag raising ceremonies in the newly constructed IP schools were held on August 24 in Sitio Simuwao and Sept 1 in Sitio Lucnodon.

The activities were attended by the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP), ELCAC member agencies led by Secretary Allen Capuyan, with the IP children and parents, Marihatag and Lianga LGUs. (Ben Balce)