23 ex-rebels complete masonry training

THE Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (Tesda) has turned over a solar dryer to boost the livelihood of farmers in Purok 3, Barangay Ocapan, San Miguel, Zamboanga del Sur.

The solar dryer is a project of the 23 former New People's Army (NPA) rebels who completed on September 3 a one week training cum-production masonry NC-1, as confirmed by the Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict-Poverty Reduction, Livelihood and Employment Cluster (TF-Elcac-PRLEC) headed by Tesda.

Tesda Regional Director Dan Navarro acknowledged the sacrifice of the 23 former NPA rebels in the completion of the solar dryer, which was also turned over September 3.

"The little fund we gave is incomparable to the sacrifices of the scholars. Without their selfless sacrifice and interest, the project would not have been possible," Navarro said.

The solar dryer will be utilized by the residents of Ocapan village for their agriculture production. It will enable them to harvest their produce in large quantities with less risk of contamination.

In turn, the farmers will be able to market their produce in less time, translating to a higher income compared to one without a solar dryer.

San Miguel Municipal Mayor Angelito Martinez, MTF-Elcac chairperson, congratulated the Tesda scholars for their dedication and perseverance to complete the solar dryer.

Martinez said the solar dryer project accomplishment of the 23 former NPAs is of big contribution to address the needs of the community.

Lieutenant Colonel Jo-ar Herrera, commander of the 53rd Infantry Battalion, said the completion of the solar dryer and the graduation of the 23 former NPA rebels will significantly contribute to the ending of local communist armed conflict in the town of San Miguel.

San Miguel, which comprises of 18 barangays, is a fourth-class municipality in Zamboanga del Sur with a population of 19,205 as of the 2015 census.

"We are now one step closer to ending local communist armed conflict in San Miguel, because this program by Tesda aims to address the issues long exploited by the Communist Terrorist Groups against our brothers and sisters in the municipality (of San Miguel)," Herrera said.

The turnover of the solar dryer project and graduation of the 23 former NPA rebels from production masonry NC-1 was witnessed by Tesda-Zamboanga del Sur Provincial Director Alan Bacatan, PRLEC Coordinator Raymond Gregg Pina, Masonry NC-I trainer and expert Gregorio Flores, and, the members of Barangay Ocapan PRLEC Committee. (SunStar Zamboanga)