The Department of Social Welfare and Development on Tuesday said it has provided cash assistance to a Moro National Liberation Front member who survived a stroke.
"From Cagayan de Oro, a team of DSWD social workers traveled to a hospital in Marawi City, where the MNLF combatant was confined, to personally hand him the government's financial aid," DSWD Undersecretary for Inclusive-Sustainable Peace and Special Concerns Alan Tanjusay said.
"This is the core malasakit of DSWD employees in action where we deliver our services in homes, hospitals, and even in difficult and challenging places, especially at times when beneficiaries cannot be physically present to receive the monetary benefits due to ailments and disabilities," Tanjusay, who supervises the Department's peace program implementation, added.
Tanjusay also reported that personnel from three DSWD Field Offices were deployed to hand over the socio-economic cash assistance from the Office of the Presidential Assistant for Peace, Reconciliation and Unity to more than 2,000 former MNLF combatants from Basilan, Lanao del Norte, Maguindanao del Sur, Maguindanao Norte and Cotabato provinces.
"This activity is part of the government's commitment to the 1996 Peace Agreement between the MNLF and the Philippine government through the MNLF Transformation Program," the senior DSWD official said.
According to Tanjusay, more than 2,000 former MNLF combatants have signified their intention to join the initial rollout of the Transformation Program designed by the government and the MNLF management committee.
The program is aimed at supporting former combatants' reintegration into the mainstream community of their choice.