THE residents of the geographically and disadvantaged area (Gida) Femegas village in Katipunan, Zamboanga del Norte, had been encouraged to be vigilant and help the municipal government and military protect the government's infrastructure projects for the development of their community.
Mayor Pachito Eguia of Katipunan made the call as the Municipal Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (MTF-Elcac) of Katipunan successfully conducted medical outreach and serbisyo caravan on Thursday, August 26, in Femagas village.
At the same time, Eguia encouraged the residents of Femagas village not to support the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army-National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF) and to immediately report their presence in their barangay to concerned authorities.
The village of Femagas was the farthest barangay in the Municipality of Katipunan and listed as one of Gida villages in the Zamboanga del Norte with a total of 1,300 population for 300 households.
“We allocate Elcac funds for the delivery of basic needs and services in communist-NPA-terrorists-affected Barangays in our Municipality in support to the campaign of National Government to end the insurgency in our country,” Eguia said.
The Katipunan MTF-Elcac composed of the local government unit (LGU) and other agencies headed by Eguia in collaboration with Rural Health Unit, volunteers, Police and Army delivered basic needs and services for the relief of people in Femagas village.
Services rendered by MTF-Elcac was free medical check-up and medicines, circumcision, birth and land registration, distribution of seedlings and registration for national coconut farming.
At the culmination of the activity, every household received food packs and rice from the municipal government of Katipunan.
“On behalf of Katipunan municipal government, I thanked everyone who helped us for making this activity possible,” Eguia added.
Behind their face masks, the constituents in Femagas village expressed their happiness and overwhelming gratitude to MTF-Elcac for their service.
Lieutenant Colonel Manaros Boransing II, 97th Infantry Battalion (IB) commander, expressed his grateful appreciation for the initiative of the Katipunan municipal government and the warm welcome given by the community.
“We thanked the Municipality of Katipunan for its unwavering support to the campaign of Ending Local Communist Armed Conflict here in Zamboanga del Norte,” Boransing said.
Meanwhile, the Sentrong Alyansa ng mga Mamayanan para sa Bayan (Sambayanan) members shared their experiences during their stints as NPA members on how they were deceived and recruited by the terrorist group and what are reasons of they're surrender.
Sambayanan is an alliance of former NPA rebels who surrendered and now helping the government to finally end the communist insurgency in the country. (SunStar Zamboanga)