‘PIONEER PROJECT’: Task Force Balik-Loob Chairperson and Department of National Defense Undersecretary Angelito M. De Leon presented mementos to former rebels who are now members of People’s Organizations (PO) during the PO Summit and Cooperative Capacity Training held in Davao City on August 29-30, 2024. Usec. de Leon considers the empowerment of POs as a “pioneer project” of the inter-agency body. (Photo by TFBL Strategic Communications)
The Task Force Balik-Loob (TFBL) announced the establishment in 2023 of 4,096 People’s Organizations (POs) formed by former rebels (FRs) and former violent extremists (FVEs) during the Inter-Cluster Planning Workshop held at the Philippine National Police Headquarters in Camp Crame, Quezon City on September 18, 2024.
Organized by the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC), the workshop brought together key agencies from three clusters—Peace, Law Enforcement and Development Support (PLEDS), E-CLIP and Amnesty Program (EAP), and Localized Peace Engagement (LPE) to refine the NTF-ELCAC Roadmap for 2024-2028 and develop an Implementation Plan (IMPLAN).
“These IMPLANs will form part of the national action plan 2024-2028 that will serve as the guiding plan for the next 4-5 years in pursuing unity, peace, and development. Currently, we have only five remaining weakened guerrilla fronts nationwide. We aim to dismantle the remaining guerilla fronts through our collective efforts,” NTF-ELCAC Junior Director Alexander Umpar remarked.
Of the 4,096 POs established, 1,949 have been formalized. Among these, 1,506 have registered with agencies such as the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), and Cooperative Development Authority (CDA), and are successfully running income-generating projects. Meanwhile, 641 POs require monitoring due to their expanding livelihood projects and market linkages.
Looking ahead, the TFBL aims to identify the POs to be developed and supported from 2024 to 2028, with emphasis on the guidance of the Department of National Defense’s NTF-ELCAC Management Office (DNEMO) on the importance of setting realistic targets.
Previously, TFBL facilitated summits and training programs for POs, notably in Cagayan and Palawan. The Sambayanan Cagayan Valley Agricultural Cooperative (SCVAC) secured PHP 8,577,925 for a sweet potato production project, while KADRE Palawan highlighted handmade slippers as their main product. In August 2024, 27 POs from Davao City and Davao del Norte submitted entrepreneurial proposals to further advance their businesses.
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