A TOP government official of Basilan province has recommended to conduct of sustained productivity programs for the rebel returnees in the province.
Basilan Governor Hadjiman Hataman-Salliman said the rebel returnees should be kept busy in any livelihood activity to prevent them from returning to the armed struggle.
Salliman said the rebel returnees should be introduced in the productive areas of Basilan to persuade them to engage in farming to earn a living.
Salliman spearheaded a meeting Monday on Preventing Violent Extremism (PVE) in Isabela City, the capital of Basilan province, which was attended by Ariel Hernandez, special assistant of the Office of the Presidential Adviser for Peace, Reconciliation and Unity; Brigadier General Fernando Reyeg, Joint Task Force Basilan commander; and, representatives from the different non-government organizations, civil society organizations, and religious organizations.
The objectives of the meeting is to contextualize PVE initiatives, complement PVE initiatives, develop other action points, create and strengthen working mechanism, and clarify the roles of each stakeholder in order to sustain the Program Against Violent Extremism (Pave) for Peace and further improve the peace and order situation in Basilan.
The Pave for Peace, a holistic approach program that seeks to end violent extremism and bring about peace in the region, was launched on April 17, 2018 by then Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (Armm) governor and now Basilan Congressman Mujiv Hataman.
Meanwhile, Reyeg said it is also important to note that one of the government’s program which greatly contributed in the prevention of violent extremism is the introduction of community support program (CSP) in the province.
Reyeg said the troops have conducted CSP activities in identified influenced-areas that subsequently gained public trust and support. (Bong Garcia/SunStar Philippines)