BONTOC, Mountain Province – On 5 October 2020, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), through its Sustainable Livelihood Program has awarded PhP520,000 worth of Livelihood Settlement Grant (LSG) to 26 Former Rebels (FR) in Bontoc, Mountain Province.
They received P20,000 each as part of the assistance of the several government programs intended for former rebel beneficiaries under the Executive Order 70 (EO70).
The livelihood assistance aims to assist FRs and their families by providing financial assistance for their socio economic reintegration thus having access to livelihood opportunities of their choice.
Out of the 26 FRs, one (1) came from Bauko, one (1) from Besao, four (4) from Bontoc, nine (9) from Natonin, one (1) from Paracelis, five (5) from Sadanga, three (3) from Sagada, and two (2) from Tadian, Mountain Province.
The awarding ceremony was led by members of the Mountain Province ECLIP and PTF-ELCAC led by Gov. Bonifacio Lacwasan, Vice Gov. Francis Tauli and DSWD Undersecretary for Inclusive and Sustainable Peace USec. Rene Glen Paje.
Also present during the ceremony were 503rd Infantry Brigade Commander BGen Henry Doyaoen, DSWD CAR OIC Regional Director Leo Quintilla, Mountain Province Provicial Police Office Director PCol. Homer Penecilla, Land Bank Bontoc Manager Genaro Dumpayan, DILG LGOO Gyda Namingit, 54th Infantry Battalion Commander LTC Franz Josef Diamante, Rev. Fr. Marcial Lloyd Castaneda and TESDA representatives.
The LSG is part of the financial aid provided by the agency in support of the Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program (ECLIP) of the government as institutionalized of the Whole-of-Nation approach to end the local communist conflicts as mandated by Executive Order No. 70, DSWD Undersecretary for Inclusive and Sustainable Peace Rene Glen O. Paje said.
“Dakel iti pasalamat mi iti gobyerno nga nang iapataray iti kastoy a programa, dakel nga iyam iti daytoy nga tarikno kadakami nga nagapo iti banger. Haan me panpanunuten daytoy nga tulong pinansiyal lang nu diket panpanunuten me nga panagayat wenu panagarakop mismo iti gobyerno ti panagsubli iti naiawawan nga anak (We are very thankful to the government for these programs provided for us former rebels. We don’t just consider this as financial assistance but a warm welcome from the government for the return of its prodigal sons), shared by one of the FR beneficiaries.
The former rebel will use the assistance to purchase starter kits for their proposed livelihood with the goal to generate income for them to sustain their living and achieve financial stability. #DSWD-CAR Babble Mae Gorio, SLP Social Marketing Officer
