BOTOLAN, Zambales — Local government officials and military officials asked youth leaders in this town to be wary of deceptions by communist rebels, and instead urged them to commit to lasting peace.

The local government unit of Botolan, in partnership with the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Botolan Field Office and the Philippine Army, met with the youth during a capacity development activity on leadership, social responsibility and moral recovery held on December 15 at Camp Kainomayan, Barangay San Juan here.

Those who participated in the activity included Sangguniang Barangay chairpersons, Sangguniang Barangay councilors, and members of the Local Youth Development Council composed of youth organizations, as well as youth-serving organizations.

Captain Norman Oliver H. Adlaon, commanding officer of the 33rd Mechanized Infantry Battalion of the Philippine Army, discussed the history and background of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army-National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF), and what he described as a “deceptive recruitment strategy” that targets the youth sector and indigenous people.

Adlaon also discoursed in detail about Executive Order No. 70, which institutionalized a whole-of-nation approach to attaining inclusive and sustainable peace, and promoting good governance as a way to avoid revolts against the government.

He pointed out that the whole-of-nation approach also aims to ensure that necessary resources are sustained by the Municipal Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (MTF ELCAC) to continue its development assistance programs in conflict-affected areas such as those recorded in the municipality. 

“H’wag tayong magpapadala sa mga mabulaklak na pananalita ng mga CPP-NPA-NDF,” Adlaon stressed, as he reminded the youth leaders of their responsibility in promoting awareness on the “manipulative tactics of the rebels” that he said deceive the youth into joining their group.

Among those who also spoke during the event were Municipal Local Government Operations Officer Shieralyn B. Esteban, OIC Local Youth Development Officer Gabrielli Damasco, Jonas Dupo and Local Civil Registrar Clevelyn Deliquina.

Apart from topics on Executive Order No. 70, anti-insurgency and terrorism, the participants were acquainted with lectures on volunteerism, social responsibility, the Sangguniang Kabataan Reform Act of 2015. and other basic parliamentary procedures.

During the training, the youth leaders were urged to support the peace and development initiatives of the national government like the Support to Barangay Development Program (SBDP) and the local government unit’s Retooled Community Support Program (RCSP). Both aim to bring the public services closer to the people aiming to counter opposition to the government.  The capacity-building seminar forms part of the LGU’s initiatives under the Retooled Community Support program, which aims to organize citizens movement for peace and development through the engagement of the youth sector and contribute to nation building.  — Shieralyn B. Esteban/DILG