The national government through — its Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program — has provided a total of P45.79-million in financial and livelihood assistance to some 611 former rebels and their families since July 2022 to help them lead peaceful lives.

Department of the Interior and Local Government Secretary Benhur Abalos Jr. said that the E-CLIP assistance granted to former rebels covers livelihood, education, housing, medical and other social services crucial to their reintegration in society.

He also urged local government units to work closely with the national government in nipping insurgency from the roots by prioritizing programs, projects and activities that are responsive, socially inclusive, and involves the active participation of different sectors to pursue the country's peace agenda.

Abalos cited the institutionalization of the whole-of-nation approach in Executive Order 70 as the game changer in addressing the ills of the society including poverty, social inequality, and historical injustice among others.

"Wars are won by the hearts of the people. We need to reframe our focus on viewing insurgency as purely security and military concern into a much broader social, economic concern and injustice," Abalos said.

He added that there are 1,019 completed Support to Barangay Development Projects in insurgency-cleared far-flung barangays last year, which made a huge difference in the lives of beneficiaries.

The DILG chief said these much-needed infrastructures and social development packages funded by SBDP are those identified by the communities themselves when they crafted their enhanced barangay development programs e-BDPs in priority insurgency-cleared barangays.

Abalos also said that funds have also been released for the implementation of another 1,658 SBDP projects this year which include farm-to-market roads, health stations, school buildings, electrification, livelihood, and various forms of assistance for the beneficiaries.

WITH Paula Antolin