𝐏𝐋𝐆𝐔-𝐃𝐝𝐎 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐠𝐧𝐢𝐳𝐞𝐬 𝐁𝐚𝐠𝐚𝐧𝐢 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐚𝐬 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐞

 

Hundreds of Bagani leaders converged at the Laak Municipal Grounds, Monday, July 18, 2022 during the Araw ng Kapayapaan Celebration in Laak, Davao de Oro.

The Araw ng Kapayapaan recognizes each and every Bagani leaders in communities for their bravery and effort towards working hand-in-hand with the authorities to maintain the situation of peace and order in their respective communities.

In a statement, Governor Dorothy Gonzaga, expressed gratitude and honors every Bagani leader for their contribution to peace and order as determinants of progress and development in the whole province of Davao de Oro. 

Gov. Gonzaga mentioned that under her term as governor of the province, the administration will work closely with the Sangguniang Panlalawigan to grant the Bagani leaders with assistance coming from the provincial government aside from its LGU.

Gov. Gonzaga also plans to meet with the Philippine National Police and the Philippine Army to further capacitate the Bagani leaders with the additional skills needed to perform their roles as peace contributors in the province. Moreover, the provincial government through the Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office (PSWDO) offered rice assistance and canned goods for the participating Bagani leaders.

District II Representative Congressman Ruwel Peter Gonzaga also graced the event along with Mayor Antonio Libuangan of Laak, Vice Mayor Mark Anthony Honeyboy Libuangan, MGen  Nolasco A. Mempin of 10th Infantry Division, PBGEN Benjamin H. Silo, Jr. Regional Director of PRO XI, Provincial NCIP Juluis Mabini, and other dignitaries.

PLGU-DdO under the leadership of Gov. Dorothy Gonzaga will strengthen government initiatives and livelihood programs for the marginalized sector, thereby prohibiting the presence of communist movement in the province. (Jasteen Abella, 𝐼𝑛𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑚𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑂𝑓𝑓𝑖𝑐𝑒, 𝑝ℎ𝑜𝑡𝑜s 𝑏𝑦 𝐽. 𝐶𝑎𝑑𝑖𝑧)

𝐎𝐏𝐀𝐏𝐑𝐔 𝐡𝐨𝐧𝐨𝐫𝐬 𝐆𝐨𝐯 𝐔𝐲 𝐚𝐬 𝐚 𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐧𝐞𝐫 𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐃𝐮𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐞 𝐀𝐝𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧

Strongholds are weakened and progress starts to sprout in the corners of Davao de Oro’s valleys formerly under the grasp of the communist groups. 

The deterioration of the red strongholds significantly turned the tables in favor of the residents in far-flung communities who suffered circumstances brought by the clash between the government and the rebels in the past years.

Since 2016, the eleven (11) identified guerilla fronts in Davao de Oro have turned down to one (1) in 2021, a shred of concrete evidence that the provincial government unleashed all its efforts to bring the program of the Duterte’s Administration in combating insurgency into action.

Recently, the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity (OPAPRU) honored thirty-eight (38) Leaders as partners of peace at the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC). Seventeen (17) of which are Mindanawon Leaders including Governor Tyron Uy of Davao de Oro.

In a statement by OPAPRU Undersecretary David Diciano, OPAPRU honors its stakeholders for helping the agency towards pushing forward its programs and projects which enable former combatants to smoothly reintegrate into mainstream society and live as peaceful and productive Filipinos.

In Davao de Oro, one of the determiners of progress is achieving peace all throughout its scope through programs under its Peace Agenda. From 2016 to 2021, a total of 1,116 former rebels in the province received assistance and firearms remuneration from the Enhanced Comprehensive  Local Integration Program (ECLIP) of the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG). 

Moreover, the Oplan Pagbabago program, a flagship program under Gov. Uy’s peace agenda, is instrumental to the achievements in relation to peace and order in the province. The program was able to pull-off accomplishments through provisions of assistance to former combatants and community-based serbisyo caravan which offers services to Dabawenyos in hard to reach areas.

Further, its strategic communications team also continues conducting information drives to prevent the infiltration of the communist groups in vulnerable sectors in the society such as the youth sector, labor groups, indigenous peoples, and women groups among others.

OPAPRU thanked its partners and stakeholders who worked with them side by side, focused on the goal of achieving secured and peaceful communities, and transforming the lives of former combatants. 

Governor Uy expressed his gratitude to be a part of the OPAPRU, and prays that achievements of peace in the province will be sustained in order for every dabawenyo to live in peace and harmony. (JA PAO-IPRD, photo from Mindanews and J. Cadiz)