DUMAGUETE CITY, Negros Oriental, August 15 (PIA) -- The Negros Oriental Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NOTF-ELCAC) continues to provide assistance to former rebels by building houses in a communal housing site.  

This is to help them reintegrate back into the society and renew their lives, said Gov. Pryde Henry Teves during an NOTF-ELCAC meeting.

The governor has urged the Department of Agrarian Reform along with the Department of Agriculture to identify and provide idle government lands for the establishment of communal housing site that can also be an agri-farm area or agrarian reform community for former rebels.

With the existing engagement with Kawayan Collective housing, the governor pledged to allocate P20M initial funds for 143 houses for ex-rebels and other informal settlers in the province.

"I think this will have a higher successful rate putting them back to the mainstream in one community," Teves said.

He said possible housing sites will be in San Miguel in Tanjay City and Dobdob in Valencia.

Teves has chosen the complete design submitted by the Kawayan Collective in which the beneficiaries will no longer shell out any expense since the house to be built is already complete.

For his part, BGen. Leonardo Peña, 302nd brigade commander of the Philippine Army, said the governor’s proposal is a holistic and realistic approach since the former rebels will be trained by government agencies concerned on how to till or do farming in one area.

“This is better with the development of common agri-farm for ex-rebels because the government can assist them to market their farm produce. Also beneficial for our government because we can watch them to be better citizens and in the future their families will have a better life," said Peña. 

The concept of communal land is practiced by the New People’s Army (NPA) but the thing is the ultimate goal of the NPA is to topple down the legitimate government, Peña said. (JCT/PIA7 Negros Oriental)