• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
The provincial government of Negros Occidental has extended P1 million in educational assistance to 200 grantees, who are family members and relatives of former combatants of the defunct Rebolusyonaryong Partido ng Mangagawa-Pilipinas – Revolutionary Proletarian Army-Alex Boncayao Brigade (RPM-P-RPA-ABB) Tabara Paduano Group, now known as KAPATIRAN.
Each grantee receives P5,000, according to a statement issued by the provincial government Public Information Office.
Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson, assisted by Director Cristina Loren Umali, who represented the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity, Veronica Tabara, co-chairperson of the peace agreement Joint Enforcement Monitoring Committee and Brig. Gen. Orlando Edralin, 303rd Infantry Brigade commander, led the distribution of educational assistance to 30 of the 200 grantees, in a ceremony held at the Negros Residences in Bacolod City.
Lacson lauded the decision of KAPATIRAN members to choose the pathway towards peace and unity, as he strongly emphasized his administration will continue to support programs that promote peace and security.
The scholarship program of the provincial government is under the supervision of Karen Dinsay, as head of the Negros Occidental Scholarship Program Division.
Last week, four former RPA-ABB combatants and 60 dependents of former rebels were also integrated into the Armed Forces of the Philippines as members of the CAFGU Active Auxiliary, as part of the Clarificatory Implementing Document’s Disposition of Arms and Forces (DAF) and Security Arrangements under the supervision of OPAPRU, AFP Peace and Development Office (AFP PDO), and PNP Peace and Development Center (PNP PDC).*
