At least 120 former members of the Alyansa ng Manggagawang Bukid sa Hacienda Luisita along with farmers and tenants from the 11 barangays of Hacienda Luisita, will soon get livelihood assistance from the member agencies of the Regional Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict in Central Luzon.
The Northern Luzon Command on Friday said the government's whole-of-nation approach to ending communist terrorism in the region has been providing good results.
It added there is a continuous provision of livelihood opportunities for rebel returnees so that a "peaceful environment conducive to economic development" can be achieved in Central Luzon.
Beneficiaries, composed of former AMBALA members, will benefit from the government's "Agricultural Cooperative Store" program pushed by the RTF-ELCAC 3, along with the Local Government Unit of Tarlac City and the Northern Luzon Command of the Armed Forces of the Philippines.
The AFP's 522nd Engineers and Construction Brigade of the Philippine Army (Central Luzon Builders) will be involved in the construction of the "cooperative store."
This will be operated by Malayang Magsasaka ng Hacienda Luisita, whose members were former AMBALA—known for its alliance with the communist rebel group that capitalizes on the non-distribution of lands to the landless farmers in Hacienda Luisita in order to entice new members and stage mass actions against the government.