Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) has awarded 22,752 certificates to former rebels (FRs) for completing various skills and livelihood training from 2017 to July 2021, according to Dir. Rolando V. Bade of the Office of the Director General for Communities and Local Government Unit Services.

Local government units (LGUs) should play a more active role in sustaining government efforts to help both active and former rebels (FRs) reintegrate into society and implement social protection programs for the members of the vulnerable sector, DILG National Barangay Operations Office (NBOO) Director Dennis Villaseñor emphasized during his interview in the radio program, "Balik-Loob sa Pagbabago."

Department of National Defense (DND) Undersecretary Reynaldo B. Mapagu, who heads Task Force Balik-Loob (TFBL), encouraged the Philippine National Police (PNP) to continue demilitarizing the firearms surrendered by former communist terrorist group members when they returned to the fold of the government. Demilitarization is the process of destroying firearms to make them unusable by cutting them into several pieces or bending or deforming each firearm.

Halfway houses for former rebels (FRs) in the provinces within the area of operations of the Visayas Command (VISCOM) of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) will all be completed within the term of President Rodrigo Duterte. This was the assurance given by Department of National Defense Undersecretary Reynaldo B. Mapagu, Task Force Balik-Loob (TFBL) Chairperson, during his visit at the Command on 18 August 2021.

Department of National Defense Undersecretary Reynaldo Mapagu, Chairperson of inter-agency Task Force Balik-Loob (TFBL), underscored the importance of protecting the Indigenous Peoples (IPs) from being deceived into joining the communist terrorist group (CTG), saying that the CTG is especially targeting the youth to beef up their dwindling membership.

SEVENTEEN (17) former members of the New People’s Army (NPA) have received housing assistance totaling to around PHP7.6 million through the Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program (E-CLIP) program of the Task Force Balik-Loob (TFBL), an interagency group tasked by President Rodrigo Roa Duterte to implement the reintegration projects for former rebels (FRs).

‘KABUHAYAN PARA SA LAHAT’. The beneficiaries of the DOLE Integrated Livelihood Program (DILP) or Kabuhayan Program received their livelihood starter kits for rice trading business.

‘WE ARE HERE FOR THEM.’ Police Major General Rhodel Sermonia assures former rebels that they can continue to avail of the programs and services that the Philippine National Police provides to Filipinos under their “Barangayanihan” program.

ACCESS TO HEALTHCARE FOR ALL. PhilHealth Senior Manager Mr. Rey Balena underscored that with the passage of Universal Healthcare Law, PhilHealth is working even harder to ensure access to healthcare and financial assistance for Filipinos, including the former rebels and their dependents.

EXTRAORDINARY TIMES CALL FOR EXTRAORDINARY MEASURES. For Cooperative Development Authority (CDA) Chairman, Undersecretary Joseph “Joy” B Encabo, the new challenges brought by the COVID-19 pandemic led to radical solutions in the delivery of CDA’s programs to former rebels (FRs).

Representatives from the Land Bank of the Philippines (Landbank) led by Assistant Vice President (AVP) Edgardo Luzano, Head of the Programs Management Department of the Landbank; together with Department Manager Virgilio Cabacang, Head of the Landbank Lending Center in Samar, and Ms. Jennielyn Zabala, Program Officer of Landbank Lending Center of Pampanga encouraged former rebels (FRs) and former violent extremists (FVEs) to avail of the Balik-Loob Lending Program to help them start a business or a livelihood project on Balik-Loob sa Pagbabago, the afternoon radio program of Task Force Balik-Loob, on July 13.