COTABATO CITY – Some 60 former combatants of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) from Camps Bilal and Busrah in Lanao provinces each received Php10,000 financial aid from the Ministry of Public Order and Safety’s (MPOS) Peacebuilding Towards Normalization program.
This intervention is intended for the vulnerable and marginalized sectors, such as the MILF combatants who did not qualify in the decommissioning program of the national government.
MPOS’ Director-General Atty. Al-Rashid L. Balt and Peace Program Officer Sittie Janine Gamao led the distribution of cash assistance for the beneficiaries on Sunday, October 31, in Marawi City.
Gamao told the former combatants that the Bangsamoro Government will continuously help those who have struggled to achieve sustainable peace in the region.
“Iba-iba man tayo ng pamamaraan sa pagkamit ng kapayapaan… lubos kaming nagpapasalamat sa mga katulad ninyo na kung saan sa loob ng ilang taon ay pinaglaban ang kapayapaan sa ating mga komunidad lalo na ang kapakanan naming mga kababaihan,” said Gamao.
MPOS targets a total of 180 former combatants from the six MILF recognized camps in the region as embodied in Executive Order 79 under the Annex on Normalization.
Identified beneficiaries will go through profiling, capacity building, listening sessions, social healing, and provision of assistance.
“Pagkatapos nung profiling, nag-evaluate at nagkaroon tayo ng capacity building sa kanila, more on kung paano ma-normalize yung buhay nila… Parang journey of life siya na activity, pinashare natin sa kanila ano yung mga karanasan nila,” Gamao added.
MPOS is also set to distribute the same cash aid to beneficiaries in Camp Abubakar in Barira Municipality and Camp Rajamuda in Pikit town on November 9, while former combatants in Camp Omar in Datu Hoffer and Camp Badre will receive theirs on November 10.
MILF Front Commanders and Members of Parliament Basit “Jannati Mimbantas” Abbas and Abdullah “Commander Bravo” Macapaar were also present during Sunday’s event.
“We are very thankful to our leaders in the Bangsamoro Government for not neglecting us and to our Front Commanders Jannati Mimbantas and Commander Bravo for their continued guidance among former combatants,” said one of the beneficiaries in his native language. (Bangsamoro Information Office)
