Allowing people who once lost their way to lose hope is not an option in this country.
Anna, not her real name, found hope after falling victim to the misleading ideals and promises of a rebel group after she sought refuge from the Bohol Police Provincial Office (BPPO).
Together with 94 ex-rebels, Anna was able to benefit various government programs and services through the Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program (ECLIP) under Executive Order 70, which allows surrenderees or former rebels like Anna to be reintegrated in the mainstream society.
It was in 2020 when then 19 year-old Anna surrendered to BPPO. Police Lt. Dunhill Sarmiento of BPPO Provincial Intelligence Unit shared that Anna was provided with all interventions and assistance from the government, one of which was for her education. .
“When we learned that Anna was in her first year of studies when recruited, we lobbied for educational assistance to help her sustain and continue her education,” Sarmiento recalled.
Considering the potential threat on Anna’s life as a surrenderee, the PNP also provided her with non-uniformed personnel to escort her to school.
“We did not want her to lose hope, so the BPPO supported her,” Sarmiento added.
Now a beneficiary of the E-CLIP, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) provided Anna and her family with a livelihood settlement grant amounting to P20,000 under the Sustainable Livelihood Program (SLP).
Just like any former rebel, the grant aims to augment the beneficiary’s livelihood. In Anna’s case, they were able to put up a ‘sari-sari’ store which serves as another source of income for her parents, who are both farmers.
“Ang akong nakuha na P20,000 sa SLP, gihatag nako sa akong mama ug gitukod namo gamay nga sari-sari store sa amo,” Anna shared.
(The P20,000 I received through SLP, I gave it to my mother and we used it to put up a sari-sari store in our place.)
She also received help under the Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS) of DSWD.
“Aside from the livelihood grant provided by the SP, we also assisted her in her studies through the Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situations program of the DSWD,” said project development officer Christopher Anana, former EO 70 handler in the province of Bohol.
EO 70, or the Executive Order No. 70, is the institutionalization of a whole-of-nation approach to achieve inclusive and sustainable peace in the country. This established the National Task force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) to promote a national peace framework.
Anna’s determination to complete her education also fueled the commitment of DSWD alongside the BPPO, BPPO-PIU, and the provincial government of Bohol.
“Dako kaayo nako’ng pasalamat sa tanan nga nitabang nako, nakahuman ko sa pag-eskwela, naa ra gyud diay ang government andam motabang, ang DSWD, ang kapulisan, ug sa province,” Anna said, as she has recently completed her Bachelor’s degree in Hospitality and Management in July 2023.
(I am incredibly grateful to everyone who supported me throughout my journey. With their help, along with assistance from the government, including the DSWD, the police, and the provincial authorities, I was able to finish school.)
Formerly employed in one of the restaurants in Panglao, Bohol, Anna also helped other individuals in crisis. She eventually found employment in public service with the help of the provincial government.
Anna’s vulnerability due to a family problem brought her to a dark tunnel filled with fear, loneliness, guilt, and regret. Realizing the importance of making ‘prudent decisions’, Anna said, “Dapat dili ‘ta magpatintal nila kay ilaha ra tang gamiton, ila ra tang gisamok; ang magpabilin sa ato ang kahadlok ra ug kalisang.”
(We should not be tempted because they only use us, they only bother us; the only thing we lose is fear and anger.) (JJT/PIA 7 with reports from DSWD-7)
