The Department of Social Welfare and Development Caraga, headed by Regional Director Mita Chuchi Gupana-Lim, goods and cash assistance to 30 former rebels during the Barangay Summit 2019 held at Balanghai Hotel and Convention Center in Butuan City last September 12.

Director Lim, together with Crisis Intervention Unit head Melanie Juan and other DSWD staff, distributed P10,000 cash, food and non-food items to each rebel returnee, who are from the province of Surigao del Norte.

The distribution came after the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Caraga coordinated with the DSWD Caraga and other government agencies for assistance and services to the former rebels who are beneficiaries of the Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program (E-CLIP).

E-CLIP is a program of the government that ensures that surrendering communist rebels have a holistic package of benefits that they can avail of, such as livelihood assistance, medical assistance, education, housing, and legal assistance.

Other benefits/services received by the former rebels are medical kits from the Department of Health and seedlings from the Department of Agriculture.

DILG Caraga Regional Director Lilibeth Famacion thanked Director Lim, as well as heads of other government agencies who extended assistance to the former communist rebels.

The event dubbed, “Building a Whole of Nation Commitment Towards Peace and Development for Barangays: Barangay Summit 2019”, is in line with President Rodrigo Duterte’s Executive Order No. 70 series of 2018, 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.

“Ang problema sa insurgency has been here for more than 50 years already. Ang atong goberno nangita gyud og saktong approach arun mahimong magmalampuson nga mawagtang na kini nga problema (The insurgency problem has been here for more than 50 years already. Our government is finding the right approach to successfully eradicate this problem)” Agusan de Norte Governor Hon. Dale Corvera said during the event.

“Og karun nga under the leadership of our president, President Duterte, nakita nato nga ang (Now, under the leadership of our president, President Duterte, we realized that) insurgency is not only a problem to be solved by the military and the police but it should be solved by everybody,” Corvera said.

“Mao nang namugna kining Executive Order No. 70 tungod kay kini nga problema, problema natong tanan, kitang tanan ang mosulbad niini nga problema. Ug a matag usa kanato duna gyuy role. (That is why Executive Order No. 70 was created since this problem should be solved by us and each of us has a role) This problem cannot be solved if we will not work together,” Corvera added.

The event was also attended by Cabinet Secretary Karlo Alexi Nograles, National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon Jr., DILG Undersecretary for Peace and Order Bernardo Florece Jr., Surigao del Norte Governor Hon. Francisco Matugas, and other government officials. ###(DARYL D. ANUNCIADO/Social Marketing Unit/DSWD Field Office Caraga)