PARTNERSHIP. Military and education officials show the signed memorandum of agreement for an information awareness campaign against the recruitment and infiltration of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army among students in schools in Aurora province. The signing was held at the Schools Division Office Aurora in Barangay Bacong, San Luis town on Tuesday (Aug. 30, 2022) (Photo by Jason de Asis)
BALER, Aurora – The Department of Education (DepEd)-Schools Division Office (SDO) of Aurora and the Army’s 91st Infantry Battalion (91IB) have teamed up for an information awareness campaign against the recruitment and infiltration of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army among students in the province.
The target of the campaign are the students in Grades 9, 10, and senior high schools.
The memorandum of agreement was signed Tuesday at the SDO-Aurora in Barangay Bacong, San Luis town between Schools Division Superintendent of Aurora Dr. Catalina Paez and 91IB commander Lt. Col. Julito Recto Jr., and witnessed by DepEd–Aurora and 91IB officials.
Paez said on Wednesday the DepEd family is fortunate for having a partnership with the Philippine Army.
“There is a saying that it takes a village to take a child. Our department is looking for partners who will provide and help us. We are continuing to negotiate with our partners with a good heart that will help our youth and the community. Every centavo, time and efforts that our partners gave are important to our department,” she said in an interview.
Under the partnership, the DepEd will support the efforts of the 91IB in lawfully reaching out to students who shall receive education from the DepEd about ending local communist armed conflict.
The DepEd will allow the youth information awareness campaign in the vicinity of pre-identified schools provided that the plan of instruction (POI), consisting of the subject/topic of the education campaigns, the medium/methodology of instruction, duration of instruction, shall have been evaluated and approved by the regional task force.
It also stated that the program in schools shall not depart from adhering to a gender-sensitive and child-friendly approach in dealing with the students and the personnel of the schools.
Meanwhile, the 91IB will commit to implementing a youth information awareness campaign, giving due consideration to gender-sensitive, child-friendly, and safe environments in the schools.
The 91IB will also maintain coordinative linkage with the DepEd by providing the department and the head of the school with information on where the program shall be held, with the proposal of the program and the plan of instruction before its conduct.
“Our objective is to communicate with the students on matters about the local communist armed conflict through the implementation of the program youth information awareness campaign wherein it is part of the DepEd’s vision of producing Filipinos who passionately love their country and whose values and competencies enable them to realize their full potential and contribute meaningfully to building the nation,” Recto said.
Meanwhile, a total of 44 former supporters of the CPP-NPA in Tarlac have received financial assistance as part of the government’s efforts to help them reintegrate into mainstream society.
They received cash assistance worth PHP5,000 each from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) in Barangay Danso, Gerona town on Tuesday.
The beneficiaries were from barangays San Agustin, San Bartolome, Santiago, Mabini, Calayaan, New Salem, Sembrano and Sulipa, all in Gerona.
Ethel Oclaray, municipal social welfare and development (MSWD) officer, said on Wednesday the financial assistance is part of the Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program of the government for former supporters of the communist terrorist group who have chosen to live peacefully and normally with their loved ones.
Last Aug. 25, seven former rebels also in Tarlac received a PHP5,000 cash assistance each.
The CPP-NPA is listed as a terrorist organization by the United States, European Union, the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the Philippines.
The National Democratic Front has been formally designated as a terrorist organization by the Anti-Terrorism Council on June 23, 2021, citing it as “an integral and inseparable part” of the CPP-NPA created in April 1973. (PNA)
