ZAMBOANGA CITY (MindaNews / 04 July) – Members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MNLF) who underwent socioeconomic profiling by the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity (Opapru) have received cash assistance of P45,000 each, totaling P20,610,000 from the Department of Social Welfare and Development. The profiling, completed under the MNLF Transformation Program, covered 458 individuals and was conducted with the assistance of Mindanao State University and Sulu State College, according to Opapru. In addition to cash aid, the combatants received rice provisions from Opapru, PhilHealth coverage, and civil registration assistance from the Philippine Statistics Authority. Presidential Peace Adviser Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. emphasized the government’s commitment to transforming the lives of MNLF combatants, their families, and communities, particularly in Sulu. Launched in 2023, the Transformation Program is part of the government’s commitments under the 1996 Final Peace Agreement. The profiling included 2,000 MNLF combatants from Basilan, Lanao del Norte, Maguindanao del Norte, Maguindanao del Sur, North Cotabato, and Cotabato City. Alisher Usman, barangay chairperson of Kaunayan, Patikul in Sulu, expressed gratitude to Opapru and its partners for their support, while Dr. Charisma Ututalum, president of Sulu State College, highlighted the importance of such engagements in promoting peace and development in Sulu. Since January, 537 firearms have been surrendered by the MNLF in Patikul and Talipao towns. Opapru aims to complete the profiling of the remaining 167 MNLF members in Sulu by the end of the year. (Frencie L. Carreon/MindaNews)
