Roi Anthoni B. Lomotan
NEGROS ORIENTAL,
Sept. 28 (PIA) – Four former rebels received P65,000 cash assistance from the
provincial government and Department of Interior and Local Government
(DILG) as part of the Comprehensive Local Integration Program (CLIP) livelihood
package.
Iin a simple ceremony held at the
Governor’s Office, Negros Oriental Gov. Roel Degamo personally handed over
the checks to the four rebel returnees together with Lt. Col. Pascua of the
79th Infantry Battalion (IB) of Philippine Army, 302nd Infantry Brigade executive
officer John Oliver Gabun, DILG provincial director Dennis Quiñones, and Alicia
Lagarde, CLIP facilitator from the provincial government
From said amount, P15,000 is
allocated for immediate assistance while P50, 000 is allocated for livelihood
assistance.
Gov. Roel Degamo also disclosed that
apart from this, the four rebel returnees will be trained on carabao-cattle
raising to provide them with a sustainable livelihood.
“What we handed over to them today
is a start-up for their livelihood and we will guide them to ensure that the
money given to them is not misused,” he said.
On the other hand, Lt. Col. Harold
Pascua, commander of the 79th IB, reported that the CLIP committee rolled
out 33 livelihood packages and the recipients of the package are benefitting
from the program based on the regular monitoring conducted by the committee.
“We can see that their livelihood is
really improving,” Pascua noted.
Pascua also reported that the CLIP
committee was able to facilitate the availment of the livelihood package for
the four former rebels within two months.
This is attributed to the joint
efforts made by the Philippine Army, provincial government along with some
national government agencies and civil society organizations, Pascua said.
With this, he hopes that more rebel
in the hinterlands will be convinced to avail of the CLIP livelihood package.
Lt. Col. Pascua continues to appeal
to other rebel to abandon armed struggle and return to mainstream society.
“We appeal to the remaining rebels,
we don’t have to fight. The program of the government is good. Let us help each
other,” he said. (rmn/ral/PIA7-Negros Oriental)
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