Army to continue peace, development efforts in villages

AN OFFICIAL of the Philippine Army's 10th Infantry Division (ID) vowed to intensify peace and development outreach program (PDOP) in communities, citing the importance of the Internal Peace and Security Plan (IPSP) Bayanihan of the Armed Force of the Philippines (AFP).

Brigadier General Ariel Bernardo, 10th ID commander, said government troops will continue to focus on remote villages and sitios, doing facilitation in relation to the delivery of the much needed services in these conflict-affected areas.

"As their commander, this is exactly how I would like them to do aside from maintaining our main chore as soldiers, because the IPSP Bayanihan measures a soldier's success based on the peace building work on the ground," Bernardo said during the 6th Founding Anniversary of the 10th ID on August 16.

He said 43 percent of the 1,797 villages in their area of responsibility have completed the peace and development team (PDT) immersion, 13 percent of which are still undergoing the same immersion and 44 percent remained to be immersed since the implementation of PDOP two years ago.

Because of these immersions, Bernardo said there were 105 affected villages freed from the influence of the communist rebels, while 427 rebels returned to the folds of the law since the campaign had started on 2010.

Bernardo said their peace and development teams also rescued some 21 minors, nine were girls and 12 were boys from "rebel exploitation."

"With the stakeholders, local government units, and other government agencies, and the public as well, together we do these institutional building arrangements with aim of eradicating or reducing poverty, hunger, and helping cure the social, economic and political issues that fuels anti-sentiment government for years," Bernardo said.