Danao converts ex-gunsmiths to Forest Rangers
SIXTY-EIGHT former gunsmiths from Danao City have officially completed their transition into Forest Rangers under Project Trident — a bold and compassionate livelihood program, in partnership with the PNP.
Photograph courtesy of DANAO CITY GOVERNMENT
At least 68 former illegal gun makers in Danao City, Cebu has been transformed into Forest Rangers.
“Every city has its silent stories of pain, struggle and redemption. In Danao, we know these stories too well. For decades, our city has carried the weight of a shadowed past, marked by illegal gun manufacturing. But we’ve also witnessed something far more powerful: The resilience and potential of our people. This became the very heart and soul behind Project Trident,” said Vice Mayor-elect Ivy Durano.
Project Trident directly responds to Danao’s decades-long challenge of illegal arms production.
In partnership with the Philippine National Police (PNP), the city has converted technical gunsmithing skills into legal, meaningful and government-supported jobs. It has three phases, first, profiling and validation, then skills formation through training and counseling, and thirdly, livelihood integration.
Graduates now serve as Job Order personnel under the Danao City Government with tasks in forest protection, environmental preservation, and as community-based tourism officers.
Aside from the Forest Ranger job, they will also implement Fresh Water Farm Livelihood Program for former paltik makers in Barangay Dungga, promoting peaceful and sustainable fishing practices.
The 68 is the first batch with 102 new beneficiaries from barangays Santican, Lawaan, Dungga, Mantija, Pili, Danasan, Cahumayan and Masaba to begin training and integration in the coming months.
“Project Trident is a clear message that change is possible when people are given the opportunity, support and hope. These former gunsmiths are no longer threats to society — they are now protectors of our forests, our communities, and our future. Danao City is leading the way towards peace, progress, and inclusive development,” said Police Colonel Jovito Atanacio, acting provincial director of the Cebu Police Provincial Office.
Through Project Trident, Danao City dismantles the cycle of underground gun manufacturing and opens doors to inclusive growth, peace and local economic development.