By Jason De Asis
BALER, Aurora-Sambayanan Association (SA) People’s Organization (PO) gets another set of livelihood packages from the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Aurora Provincial Office and Philippine Army’s 91st Infantry “Sinagtala” Battalion during a hand-over ceremony held at Barangay Ditumabo, San Luis, Aurora on Friday, October 20, 2023.
Lt. Col. Julito B. Recto, Jr., Commander of 91st IB said that the packages consist of 200 pieces of chicken broilers, waterers, feederers and chicken feeds to the said PO.
Recto said that the P50,000 worth of packages were personally hand-over by DOLE Livelihood Development Specialist Vincent V. Leal to SA President Edgar Baldonade, a former rebel in the province of Aurora.
Recto added that the activity is an explicit manifestation of the government’s genuine collective desire to bring intervention to former rebels in the province of Aurora. “Rest assured that the 91st IB in partnership with other concerned agencies will continue to provide the necessary assistance to the members of the PO who are also former rebels including their families,” Recto said.
On the other hand, Leal said that the DOLE is happy to award livelihood assistance to former rebels to start new lives as part of their mandate to support the government’s whole-of-nation approach under the ELCAC (End Local Communist Armed Conflict) program.
He also lauded the efforts of 91st IB who initiated to help the SA through other livelihood grants. “The PO was endorsed by 91st IB and after a thorough review it was approved by our office,” he said.
Ka Edgar expressed his sincerest thanks and gratitude along with the other FRs, to the DOLE and 91st IB for the livelihood assistance they have received. He assured the government officials present that they will not waste every livelihood assistance provided to them by the concerned agencies.
