Negros Occidental Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson convened the Provincial Site Coordinating Team (SCT) to assist in implementing programs to fast track the full reintegration of former rebels who have entered into a peace agreement with the government.
The SCT meeting held at the Capitol on Thursday, May 11, was convened to oversee the peace process with the Kapatiran Para sa Progresong Panlipunan Inc. (KAPATIRAN) to reach finality, he said.
When he established the SCT in 2020 they never met because of the COVID-19 pandemic so the meeting on Thursday was the very first, Lacson said.
The provincial government is allocating P1 million for scholarship grants or subsidies to dependents of KAPATIRAN members for 2023, he said.
Their members will also be enrolled in the Negros Occidental Comprehensive Health Program so they will be covered by the provincial government’s health insurance program, Lacson said.
The SCT will assist the Joint Enforcement Monitoring Committee (JEMC) in providing appropriate interventions to KAPATIRAN under a normalization plan to sustain and strengthen the peace and development agenda of the province, he said.
The Philippine government and the Rebolusyonaryong Partido ng Manggagawa-Pilipinas/Revolutionary Proletarian Army/Alex Boncayao Brigade (RPM-P/RPA/ABB) signed a peace agreement on Dec. 6, 2000, to end armed hostilities and commence the process of addressing the root causes of armed conflict.
RPM-P/RPA/ABB has transformed its status into a non-government organization registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and bearing the name KAPATIRAN.
As a strategy for economic mainstreaming, the Philippine government committed to establish settlement sites that are categorized as Peace and Development Community (PDC) sites.
In Negros Occidental the settlement sites are in Brgy Bagonbon in San Carlos City, Brgy. Villacin in Cadiz City and Brgy. Locotan in Kabankalan City, and three congregated areas are in Bago City, and in the municipalities of EB Magalona and Cauayan.
Veronica Tabara, JEMC co-chair, said they are thankful that government’s assistance has been continuing, especially at the local governments’ level.
She said they have 727 members nationwide with San Carlos having 179, Cadiz – 63, Kabankalan – 64, Cauayan, 40, Bago – 25, and EB Magalona -70.
The government has provided access roads at the KAPATIRAN sites, houses for its profiled members, livelihood, livestock and other forms of immediate assistance, which they are thankful for, she said.*