OPAPRU, PIA orient media practitioners in Caraga on peace, reconciliation efforts of the gov't
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By: Kelvin Kennt R. Generalo
PROSPERIDAD, Agusan del Sur -- The Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity (OPAPRU), in partnership with the Philippine Information Agency (PIA) Caraga organized a media orientation on Localized Peace Engagements and its Transformational Program (LPE-TP) at Grand Palace Hotel in Butuan City on September 5-6.
The two-day activity was joined by
PIA's Assistant Director-General for Organizational Development and
International Affairs, Atty. Tadeo R. Culla who welcomed the media
practitioners saying, “This event is part of the collaboration between OPAPRU, and the PIA to
strengthen the dissemination of the government's efforts on peace and
reconciliation.”
“We assure you that
the PIA will continue to be a reliable source of information and a steadfast
partner of OPAPRU, and all sectors involved in the peace campaign. We are
committed to crafting and delivering messages that are easily understood by the
citizens and rooted in their experiences and aspirations,” he added.
He also assured everyone that PIA
will always be a dependable partner in the whole-of-government and
whole-of-society approaches, and the agency will consistently support the
initiatives aimed at achieving meaningful peace that every Filipino desires.
OPAPRU's Program Development Officer
V/Operations Officer of Local Conflict Transformation – Field Implementation
Support Unit (LCT-FISU) Mindanao, Oliver M. Binancilan shared the nature of the
Communist Party of the Philippines/New People's Army/National Democratic Front
(CPP-NPA-NDF) and the phases of transformation that the former rebels
(FRs) or friends rescued undergo.
"The nature of the CPP-NPA-NDF’s
threat objective is to seize political power through violence and terrorism and
falsely presenting themselves as champions of the poor masses," he
said.
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“The propaganda line of the communist
terrorist groups (CTGs) is to recruit the vulnerable farmers through its
Agrarian Revolution Program (AGREB) with the use of intimidation tactics to
achieve their goals. They are applying force against landowners, coercing them
to surrender their properties and hand them over to the CTGs," he added.
Binancilan emphasized
that more than 50 percent of the guerilla fronts nationwide were monitored in
the regions of Caraga and Davao in 2011, and currently they have been weakened
and dismantled, and more rebels continue to surrender to the government due to
the efforts of the security sector with the support of the local government
units, as well as the participation of the locals in terms of providing
intelligence/information that led to the successful operations of the security
sector.
He further revealed the FRs undergo
the different phases of transformation: surfacing, mainstreaming, and
institutionalization.
"During the surfacing phase,
former combatants are assessed, validated, certified, and provided with initial
assistance and benefits. In the mainstreaming phase, former combatants and
non-combatants are integrated into their families and communities, receiving
interventions and capacity-building support to help normalize their return to
society," he shared.
"Lastly, the
institutionalization phase focuses on sustainability, where former combatants
are organized into legal entities to support their long-term
transformation," he underscored.
“We must help the FRs transform their
lives in a way that they become resilient, and we are able to help them change
and improve the quality of their lives. That is why we need this Transformation
Program after receiving all the benefits due to them as they surrendered to the
folds of the law," said Binancilan.
Meanwhile, PIA Caraga Regional Head
Venus L. Garcia called on media partners for a continued collaboration towards
achieving lasting peace and development through effective communication.
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"Your role as media
practitioners is pivotal in advancing our goals of peace and reconciliation. By
sharing the insights and objectives discussed, you help amplify our message and
poster a deeper understanding of the program's impact," she said.
"We appreciate your commitment to this cause and look forward to your continued support in driving meaningful change in our communities," she added.
The media orientation organized by OPAPRU and PIA Caraga served as a crucial platform to educate the media practitioners that the government continues to sustain the gains of Executive Order No. 70 or the whole-of-nation approach in attaining inclusive and sustainable peace by putting an end to the local communist armed conflict. (KKG/PIA-Agusan del Sur)
