14 former communist rebels receive financial, livelihood aid in Negros Oriental
BACOLOD CITY – Fourteen former communist rebels received financial and livelihood assistance totaling P980,000 in Negros Oriental on Wednesday, March 20.

GOV. Manuel Sagarbarria (ninth from left) leads the turnover of P980,000 worth of cash and livelihood assistance to 14 former members of the New People’s Army (NPA) in a ceremony at the Negros Oriental Provincial Police Office (Norppo) in Barangay Agan-an, Sibulan, Negros Oriental on Wednesday, March 20. (Photo courtesy of 62nd IB)
Recipients surrendered to the Army 62nd Infantry Battalion (IB) and the police in the cities of Guihulngan and Canlaon and the Guihulngan City Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (GCTF-ELCAC).
The rebel returnees received these benefits through the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG)-Negros Oriental, under the Enhanced-Comprehensive Local Integration Program (E-CLIP), in a ceremony at the Maringal Hall of the Negros Oriental Provincial Police Office (Norppo) in Barangay Agan-an, Sibulan.
The Provincial Veterinary Office also awarded P5,000 cash assistance each to the 14 former rebels.
The Provincial Agriculture Office distributed live native chicken, vegetable seedlings, and reading materials and Gov. Manuel Sagarbarria provided one sack of rice and food packs through the Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office.
Sagarbarria said that the rebel returnees will serve as a living testament of the government’s sincerity to help former New People’s Army members who lay down their arms and return to the fold of the law.
“I hope that the cash assistance you received will benefit you and your family in living a new life,” the governor said in a statement.