PASIG CITY (DECEMBER 12, 2019)- The Department of Social Welfare and Development Field Office Region IV-A and the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process awarded 24 KAPATIRAN members from Luzon with livelihood settlement grants worth PhP 50,000 each.
The grants are part of the socio-economic reintegration component of the Clarificatory Implementing Document (CID) signed last July 2019, which contains the commitments made between the KAPATIRAN and the Philippine government in support of the original 2000 peace agreement.
The KAPATIRAN is composed of the rejectionist members of the Communist Party of the Philippines- New People’s Army, who have since been decommissioned.
Atty. Wilben Mayor, OPAPP assistant secretary and chief of staff, acknowledged the importance of the grants, which he said will help facilitate the integration of KAPATIRAN members into mainstream society.
“Mahabang panahon na itinaguyod ninyo ang ganitong pangarap, at ngayon po ay nagkakaroon na po ng katuparan,” Mayor said.
Lucia Almeda, DSWD field office IV-A OIC-assistant regional director for operations, encouraged the KAPATIRAN members to use the funds wisely by investing them in income-generating enterprises.
“Itong halagang ito, maliit man o malaki sa pagtingin ng bawat isa sa inyo, pagyamanin po ninyo, pagkat ito po ay panimula ng inyong paghahanap-buhay o pagtaas ng antas ng inyong kabuhayan,” Almeda said.
Veronica Tabara, KAPATIRAN chairperson, thanked the government for its assistance, as she urged the group’s members to be prudent in using the funds.
“Nagpapasalamat po kami sa mahigpit na pagtutulungan ng DSWD at OPAPP para sa mabilis na implementasyon ng mga nakasaad sa Clarificatory Implementing Document. Ito ay magandang pamasko, pero hindi ito ang pamasko na bahala na tayo kung anong gawin natin,” she said. ###
