A TOP Army officer vowed to put more effort into partnership with the community and private sector to establish conflict-resilient barangays to better prepare them for development.
In his speech during the 14th founding anniversary of the 10th Infantry Division (10ID), Maj. Gen. Reuben S. Basiao, the division commander, said that people’s empowerment is the key to establishing conflict- and disaster-resilient communities ready.
“The basis of the execution of the campaign is the collaboration continuum with the end state of creating an environment conducive to peace and development through convergence. As for the division, the objective is to create conflict and disaster-resilient communities with a sustainable livelihood through networking, cooperation, coordination, and collaboration with partners-stakeholders,” he said.
He also cited that the programs pioneered by the 10ID have also become a model of counter-insurgency campaign of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).
The programs went through a series of transformations and innovations that eventually designed the campaign to have more emphasis on community-based engagements in countering the communist terrorist group’s massive ideological, political, and organizational machinery.
“I am happy to report the division developed its own line of operations, which comprises 80 percent community-based engagement that involves community support program, peoples organizations, community development, and integrated territorial defense system,” he added.
Basiao also underscored that while the communist rebels continue to radicalize isolated communities where government services are seldom felt, the community support program proved to be an effective tool in winning back the hearts and minds of the people.
He recounted that in 2019, four guerilla fronts and five Pulang Bagani Company were dismantled within the area of responsibility of the division. They were given livelihood assistance like vegetable farming and chicken production, among others.
“These livelihood programs developments in former CTG’s stricken communities’ give economic opportunity and uplift living standard. These campaign innovations played a significant role in reducing armed violence by providing the community with resources, know-how, and life-skills to achieve a sustainable livelihood that creates an environment of shared-responsibility with partner-stakeholders in the promotion of peace and development,” Basiao added.
Apart from that, the division also engages in humanitarian assistance and disaster relief in response to the series of earthquakes that devastated the areas of North Cotabato and Davao del Sur in 2019.
“In celebration of our 14th anniversary, allow us to express our sincerest gratitude for your untiring support and selfless sacrifices. But then again, there are still a lot of works to be done especially in hastening the defeat of the CTGs (NPA), rest assured that we will not rest on our laurels,” Basiao added.
