Wednesday, October 6, 2010

Development projects drive away communist insurgency

Philippine Daily Inquirer


I WAS a nurse from the Riverside Medical Center in Bacolod City and we once visited Barangay Linantuyan, a mountain barangay in Guihulngan City, Negros Oriental. The place was very peaceful and boasts improvements like potable water systems, schools, day care centers, cash and livelihood assistance for former rebels. There were also donations like DVD players, TV sets and a satellite dish, among so many other things.

This barangay was assisted by the 11th IB, 3ID Philippine Army and was cleared of the New People’s Army that once lorded over the place and caused the very poor barangay to live in shambles and deprivation. The Linantuyan experience was really amazing, even awesome.

This is the reason I was so disheartened to read in the papers that President Aquino has decided to scrapdevelopment projects for poor barangays like the Kalayaan sa Barangay or KBP projects. These projects have helped these communities to rise above their situation and free themselves from the NPA.

I am hopeful, just as many others, government and social workers, soldiers and those people who have experienced the fruits of those development projects, that the government will continue to fund such projects. We dread the return of the NPA as we have already gained so much in terms of peace and development.

—ROSAMITA B. CALDERON-HAYS,

rosamitacalderonhays

@yahoo.com

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