Strengthening community trust
“How did we strengthen the trust of the community? Of course, with the delivery of services. Dinala natin doon ang iba’t ibang mga line agencies. Pinakita natin sa kanila kung ano ‘yong mga opportunities waiting for them as part of the program of the government,” Nagac said.
[How did we strengthen the trust of the community? Of course, with the delivery of services. We brought different line agencies there. We showed them what opportunities were waiting for them as part of the government's program.]
Non-governmental organizations, including Dole Philippines, Mahintana Foundation, Inc., and their partners, also joined in delivering services to the community.
Just recently, the Provincial Government of South Cotabato, the 5th SF Battalion, national line agencies, and non-government partners conducted a serbisyo caravan for residents of Barangay Lapu and surrounding villages, where the community was provided basic services and oriented on government programs and projects such as those provided by TESDA, DepEd, and DOLE.
The move resulted in the community gaining interest in availing of government assistance, such as skills training from TESDA, establishing inland aquaculture, and developing the community as a tourism destination.
“Sabi nga namin pwede magkaroon tayo ng working title na ‘From Terrorism to Tourism’ [We thought that we could have a working title of 'From Terrorism to Tourism'],” Nagac said.
On January 30, AY Foundation, Dole Philippines, and Mahintana Foundation turned over two newly completed Madaris learning centers to the community in Lapu and in Barangay Magsaysay, another Muslim community in Polomolok.
Construction of the concrete Madaris buildings was funded by the AY Foundation, but labor, equipment, and machinery were provided by the 549th Engineering Battalion.
For his part, Nilong welcomed the attention that his community has recently gained from the peace efforts.
“Malaking pasalamat ko na bumubuhos na ang mga project sa aming lugar [I am very grateful that projects are now pouring into our area],” Nilong said during the turnover ceremony of the Madrasah in Sitio Bio, Barangay Lapu.
“For the first time, itong lugar na ito naapakan ng general. Dati rati ang mga umaapak dito mga kumander lang. Malaki ang pasasalamat namin. Ang pangako namin, i-maintain namin ang peace and order para makakapasok ang mga ibibigay nyo pa sa amin,” he assured as he committed his all-out support.
[For the first time, an Army general has stepped on this place. In the past, those who stepped here were only commanders. For that, we are very grateful. We promise to help maintain peace and order so that the government assistance you give us can enter.]
Responding to the promise of maintaining peace, Nagac emphasized that there’s an exchange for government help, reiterating the concept of a give-and-take.
“Sinasabi namin, oo tutulungan kayo ng gobyerno, pero may kapalit yan. Ang kapalit dito ay kailangan ma-develop ang kakayayahan ninyong tumayo sa sarili ninyong paa, maging productive member ng gobyerno. Hindi kaya ng gobyerno na bigay na lang ng bigay,” he elaborated, as he opined that the government peace effort is heading in a good direction toward ensuring the welfare of people in the communities formerly affected by decades of insurgency.
[We say, yes, the government will help you, but there is a price. The exchange here is to develop your ability to stand on your own feet and to be a productive member of the government and society because the government can't just give and give.]
Nagac rationalized that sustaining the gains of the peace efforts in the area requires sustaining success, which he said does not end with the government and its partners addressing the needs of the community but also requires the participation of the community. (DED - PIA Region 12)