HOUSING. A portion of Kauswagan Village in Mondragon, Northern Samar where houses for former rebels will rise. Northern Samar’s provincial government is eyeing to build 200 units of single-detached houses for former rebels as part of its drive to encourage more New People’s Army combatants to surrender. (Photo courtesy of Northern Samar provincial government)
TACLOBAN CITY – Northern Samar’s provincial government is eyeing to build 200 units of single-detached houses for former rebels in Mondragon town.
This is one way to encourage more New People’s Army combatants to surrender and live a normal life, Northern Samar Governor Edwin Ongchuan said during an interview on Wednesday.
Ongchuan said the provincial government has just completed building a model house and that they are looking for additional funding for the proposed Kauswagan (prosperity) Village in Mondragon town.
“The cost to build each house is PHP450,000 to PHP500,000. We are building a community with school, church, and farm lots. This is to show that the province is doing something to improve the lives of former rebels,” he said.
Since the Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (ELCAC) was formed in 2019, at least 159 active rebels in Northern Samar have surrendered to authorities, according to the governor. These former rebels have been prioritized to benefit from the housing project.
The houses will rise within the seven-hectare property in Cablangan village in Mondragon town donated by the Philippine Fiber Industry Development Authority.
It is jointly funded by the provincial government, provincial task force ELCAC, and National Housing Authority. It is also supported by the Philippine Army and the Philippine National Police.
The completed model house has two bedrooms. It is the first of 34 initial units that will be constructed for peacebuilders residing in the Kauswagan Village. Dwellers on the site are currently living in makeshift houses.
Earlier, the provincial task force ELCAC turned over mallard ducks and carabaos to the former rebels living in the village.
“Through this Kauswagan Village, we hope to encourage more NPA members to surrender since life is better inside the community than in the mountains,” he added.
Northern Samar is considered the last bastion of insurgency with the existence of two active guerilla fronts of the New People’s Army.
“We have dismantled the last two active guerilla fronts operating in the province. The NPA front committees 1 and 15 are now down to 36 remaining personalities and 64 firearms. This is a testament to the determination of the people of Northern Samar in achieving peace,” Ongchuan said.
The remnants of the NPA in the province are classified as roving bandits with no single village official supporting their ideology.
The remaining NPA rebels are jittery with the continued deaths, capture, and surrender of their leaders, according to the Philippine Army. (PNA)
