KORONADAL CITY — The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has released P137.6 million in financial assistance to cover the grants of  more than a thousand decommissioned former combatants of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) in Maguindanao, the head of the agency reported Friday.

Cezario Joel Espejo, DSWD-12 regional director, said the money was used for the payout of Bangsamoro Transitory Family Support Package BTFSP 100k each  for the 1,376 MILF Decommissioned Combatants.

According to Dir. Espejo,  the figures of combatants provided with government assistance since February 21 were part of the 12,000 combatants to be decommissioned this year. The rest will be done between 2021-2022.

“This is just one of the promises of our government for the people of Mindanao. It only shows government will never forsake them,” Dir. Espejo said, citing the participation of partners from the Office of Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process and the Independent Decommissioning Body created by the by the Philippine government and MILF to oversee the process of decommissioning of MILF forces and weapons.

The aid packages form part of the Socio-Economic Program component provided for under Executive Order (EO) No. 79  signed on March 2019 which focuses on the Normalization Track of Comprehensive Agreement on Bangsamoro, the final peace agreement signed  between the government and MILF.   

The EO 79 aims to reintegrate decommissioned MILF combatants to mainstream society through provision of livelihood and other appropriate programs and services. 

Norhata Benito, Normalization Program head, said each of the decommissioned fighters received P80,000 under BTFS and P20,000 cash for the LSG.

The BTFSP is composed of food subsidy and family, hygiene, kitchen, sleeping, and shelter kits while LSG may be used as seed capital to start micro-enterprises or to purchase starter kits for the re-establishment of damaged livelihood.

In September last year, President Rodrigo Duterte and his cabinet secretaries, including DSWD Secretary Rolando Bautista, witnessed the first phase of decommissioning involving 1,190 ex-combatants in Simuay, Sultan Kudarat town in Maguindanao. (JBM / DSWD)