In a concerted effort to maintain peace and stability, the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation, and Unity (OPAPRU) and the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) are working to integrate former rebels and their supporters into People’s Organizations (POs) in Pangasinan. This initiative was highlighted during a media orientation in Lingayen, Pangasinan, led by Adonis Bringas, the project development manager for OPAPRU in Northern Luzon.
The focus of this initiative is to ensure the sustainability of peace efforts through localized peace engagements (LPE) as part of the National Task Force to End Local Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC). Bringas emphasized the importance of including not only former combatants but also their supporters, acknowledging that the success of armed groups often depends on their backing.
Pangasinan, along with Ilocos Sur, is one of the 27 priority provinces targeted by the national government for this program. Although the Ilocos Region has been declared free of insurgency, Bringas noted that some areas are still visited by members of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army (CPP-NPA).
In Ilocos Sur, 18 clusters of POs have already been established, comprising approximately 1,000 former rebels and supporters. The next step involves consultations with these POs and various national government agencies to develop a transformation program plan that addresses the specific needs of these communities.
Bringas stressed the importance of local government support, advocating for the inclusion of project proposals from these POs in the province’s annual investment plan. The transformation program plan will outline the needs of the POs, and OPAPRU will work with local governments to validate and address these needs.
By strengthening communities through better information dissemination and enhanced government services, the initiative aims to further diminish the influence of rebel groups in the region.