MONDRAGON, NORTHERN SAMAR – The provincial government of Northern Samar has entered into a tripartite agreement with the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity (OPAPRU) and the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) to establish the first Peace Center in Eastern Visayas.
According to a new release by the Philippines News Agency, Northern Samar will receive PHP5 million to operationalize the center once the required documentation is processed and approved. The facility aims to effectively implement and continuously monitor the local government's peace engagement and transformation initiatives.
Imelda Bonifacio, OPAPRU regional program manager, stated that the center, to be named Kauswagan Village, will serve as a sanctuary for former rebels who have opted for peace and reconciliation. "It is the community that encourages the rebels to surrender. The reintegration program should be civilian-led," Bonifacio said.
The seven-hectare property in Cablangan village, Mondragon town, where the Kauswagan Village is set to be built, has been donated by the Philippine Fiber Industry Development Authority. Multiple agencies, including the provincial task force to end local communist armed conflict (PTF-ELCAC) and the National Housing Authority (NHA), will provide funding for the center. The Philippine Army and the Philippine National Police are also supporting the project.
Governor Edwin Ongchuan signed a resolution on Monday, passed by the PTF-ELCAC, requesting the NHA to fund the construction of 34 housing units within the Kauswagan Village. These units are intended for former rebels and their families as part of their reintegration into society.
The initiative is a key part of local government strategies aimed at preventing the New People's Army (NPA) from retaking areas that have been cleared by security forces. The Philippine Army reported that at least 237 NPA-influenced villages have been cleared, and two active guerilla fronts in the province have been dismantled. However, the military notes that vertical forces will continue to secure the cleared areas.