DSWD-7: 23 former rebels receive P20K livelihood aid

CEBU CITY, Philippines — Twenty-three former rebels, who have surrendered to the government, have received a livelihood settlement grant (LSG) worth P20,000 this year under the Sustainable Livelihood Program (SLP) of the Department of Social Welfare and Development in Central Visayas (DSWD-7).

Aracelli Quiel, special projects focal for SLP of DSWD-7, said that all 23 former rebels were from Bohol, which were endorsed to them by the Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Committee (ECLIC).

Aside from the ECLIC, they were also certified by the Joint AFP-PNP Intelligence Committee (JAPIC).

The assistance was based on Executive Order No. 70 series of 2018 entitled “Institutionalizing the Whole-of-Nation Approach in Attaining Inclusive and Sustainable Peace, Creating a National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict, and Directing the Adoption of a National Peace Framework.”

“Once na endorse na, mao na atong basihan nga ato silang i-assess. Unya mo go through na sila sa process nga kinahanglan ang usa ka FR (former rebel) nato, ni-joing sila sa forces December 18, 2018. Unya ni-surface sila 2016 up to present,” Quiel said.

(Once it has been endorsed, then that is our bases for our assessment of them. Then they will go through the process where they need to be FR and they joined our forces on Dec. 18, 2018. Then they surfaced in 2016 up to the present.)

Aside from this, 10 more former rebels from Negros Oriental are now being evaluated by the agency to receive assistance.

This year, DSWD-7 is targeting 133 former rebels to receive assistance. Last year, 60 former rebels have availed of the program.

/dbs

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