FORT RAMON MAGSAYSAY, Palayan City – Twenty-one former rebels received P147,000-worth of livelihood kits from the Department of Trade and Industry at the 91st Infantry Battalion headquarters in Barangay Calabuanan, Baler, Aurora on Thursday.
Lt. Col. Reandrew Rubio, commanding officer of the 91IB, said that 13 of the ex-rebels received Bigasang Bayan, six have groceries, and two have kambingan or goat production packages under the DTI’s Pangkabuhayan sa Pagbangaon at Ginhawa Program for Former Rebels.
DTI-Aurora Provincial director Aldrin Veneracion personally turned-over the livelihood starter kits to the beneficiaries together with 1Lt. Roberto G. Apelado Jr, civil-military officer of 91IB, and Maj Bartolome Antolin of the provincial mobile fore company, according to the 7th Infantry Division’s public affairs office.
Aside from the DTI program, the assistance to the former rebels is also part of the government’s Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program (E-CLIP) which has an objective to help rebel surrenderers to go back to the community with proper livelihood to be able to live normally again.
“We are bringing the services of DTI, Philippine Army, other government agencies, and stakeholders to help the people affected by Covid pandemic, including former rebels who are now with us in the government,” Rubio said.
“To our beneficiaries, please properly manage the pangkabuhayan kit you received. Do your best to nurture the livelihood packages given to you as it will help you start to build a new future,” he added.
7th Infantry (Kaugnay) Division commander Major Gen. Alfredo Rosario Jr. reminded the former rebels to make good use of the livelihood starter kits given to them: “Gumagawa ang ating gobyerno ng paraan upang ang ating mga dating rebelde ay maging produktibong bahagi ng pamayanan. Sana ay pagyamanin ninyo ito at maging magandang simula sa inyong pagbabagong-buhay.”
