THE Army's 53rd Infantry Battalion (IB) has turned over livelihood products to the Friends Rescued Good Life Agricultural Cooperative in the province of Zamboanga del Sur.

The livelihood products were turned over Tuesday, January 18, during a product launching and turnover ceremony at Good Life Village in Barangay Poblacion, Guipos, Zamboanga del Sur.

The "Friends Rescued" is composed of former rebels (FRs) or members of the New People's Army (NPA) who surrendered to the 53IB and were transformed into productive citizens.

The livelihood products, made by the FRs themselves, include corn coffee (roasted corn powder), organic soap, and oyster mushrooms.

Ferdausi Cerna, National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) regional director and the event's guest of honor, commended the FRs for having their own livelihood products.

Lieutenant Colonel Jo-ar Herrera, 53IB commander, expressed his gratitude to NCIP, saying convergence played a vital role in changing the lives of the FRs.

"Through Project Good Life, convergence, and the close partnership of 53IB with its stakeholders, we are making sure that the FRs have a mechanism to provide for themselves after they graduate from the program," Herrera said.

Project Good Life for FRs is an inclusive well-being psycho-education program initiated by 53IB in partnership with various organizations and national government agencies. It aims to translate the result of initial strength-based research inquiry among former rebels of the 53IB to community extension service.

Herrera said it is a need-based program for FRs to support Executive Order 70, signed by President Rodrigo Duterte and which institutionalizes the Whole-of-Nation approach to end local communist armed conflict in the country. (SunStar Zamboanga)