16K ex-rebels, backers benefit from gov't reintegration program

MANILA – A total of 16,551 former members and supporters of the New People's Army (NPA) who abandoned the terror organization have benefitted this year from the government's comprehensive reintegration program.

In its first semester report for 2024, the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) said the beneficiaries are from different geographIcally isolated and disadvantaged areas comprising 6,945 recipients of livelihood projects and 9,606 former rebels who benefitted from reintegration assistance.

National Security Adviser and concurrent NTF-ELCAC co-vice chair Secretary Eduardo Año credited the aggressive implementation of the government's whole-of-nation/whole-of-government approach in putting an end to the decades-long armed struggle.

"Through the unimpeded provision of the Support to Barangay Development Program (SBDP), which in total has assisted 864 barangays in this year alone, we have relentlessly delivered the necessary skills and development and assistance programs to conflict-affected communities," Año said in a news release.

Meanwhile, NTF-ELCAC Executive Director and Undersecretary Ernesto Torres Jr. said the SBDP has been a potent game-changer in preventing the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP)-NPA from recovering their so-called mass bases.

"Despite this year's meager budget for our SBDP, we continue to reap gains and these peace gains we have to sustain as we are on the process of transitioning to the next level after totally eliminating the armed component of the CPP-NPA, which would be focused on unity, peace and development," he said in an earlier statement.

This year, the SBDP fund allocation is P2.160 billion for 885 projects.

Of the amount, P1.292 billion has been released by the Department of Budget to fund farm-to-market roads, school buildings, water and sanitation systems, rural electrification and health stations, among others.

Torres said they are aiming for Congress to restore the P10 million per village for next year's budget.

Citing data from the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), the NTF-ELCAC reported that 2,451 farm-to-market road projects totaling 1,050 kilometers are completed while 57.54 kilometers are ongoing; 461 school building projects are completed while 120 school buildings are ongoing; out of the total 1,049 water and sanitation system projects, 846 have been completed and 203 are ongoing; out of the 447 health station projects, 366 have been completed and 81 are ongoing; and out of the total 518 rural electrification projects, 14,457 (on-grid 749, streetlights 9,355, off-grid 4,353) have been completed while 271 others are ongoing (127 pre-procurement, 144 ongoing).

DILG data also showed that the Budget department released P28.393 billion under the Local Government Support Fund-SBDP for fiscal years 2021 to 2023. (PNA)