The leaders of the indigenous communities in Isabela, Negros Occidental, sought the Army’s help to ensure that their children are not influenced by the New People’s Army during an IP forum in Brgy. San Agustin, Isabela, on Tuesday,May 21.
The Army met with 142 IP members of Ati and Bukidnon tribes from the eight barangays of Isabela, the 62nd Infantry Battalion of the Philippine Army said.
The event, led by the Sectoral Unification, Capacity-Building, Empowerment, and Mobilization (SUCBEM) Cluster of the Isabela Municipal Task Force to End Local Communists Armed Conflict (MTF-ELCAC), was attended by the Indigenous People Mandatory Representative (IPMR), Tribal leaders, and IP members from the barangays Camang-Camang, Amin, Banogbanog, Cabcab, Makilignit, San Agustin, Riverside, and Sikatuna.
During the forum, IP representatives were able to raise concerns on scholarship grants for the IP children and expressed their gratitude to the Army for securing their Indigenous Cultural Communities (ICC), the press release said.
Limuel Gante, one of the IP leaders, said that if their children are educated, they cannot be recruited by the NPA.*