MATANAO, Davao del Sur – Three Peoples Organizations (POs) in the municipality of Matanao, Davao del Sur have benefited from a P5-million worth of farm implements and livelihood starter kits, of which fund came from the Barangay Development Program of The National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC).

In the turnover ceremony spearheaded by the Department of the Interior and Local Government of Davao del Sur, the Colonsabac Lumad Farmers Association (COLUFA) and the Datal Fitak Libon Association (DALIA) each received P1.5 million of the livelihood assistance.

The Asbang Lumad Farmers Association (ASLUFA) accepted P2 million.

According to the 39th Infantry Battalion of the 10th Infantry Division, the livelihood assistance is part of the P40 million BDP fund allocated to Barangays Colonsabac and Asbang, former Communist Terrorist Group guerilla base barangays that were cleared by the 39th IB.

The members of the recipient organizations from the indigenous people’s B'laan tribe, were once members of the Underground Mass Organizations previously operating in the municipality, the Army said.

The 39th IB bared that the remaining amount of the P40-million BDP project were allocated to road concreting and other hard infrastructures in the aforementioned former conflict affected barangays.

Apart from the DILG Davao del Sur and 39th IB, the Provincial Local Government Unit of Davao del Sur and Davao del Sur Police Provincial Office were also present during the turnover ceremony. (39IB/PIA-XI)