Basilan: The Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity (OPAPRU) and the Basilan provincial government, in collaboration with other stakeholders, have extended livelihood assistance to 300 members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) as of last February.

According to Philippines News Agency, since February 26, the Provincial Local Government Unit of Basilan and OPAPRU, through its Localizing Normalization Implementation (LNI) program and in coordination with the Task Force on Decommissioned Combatants and their Communities, have provided livelihood support to 300 MILF members, including 288 decommissioned combatants. This initiative is part of the commitment under the Normalization Program to uplift the socioeconomic conditions of these combatants and their families.

The OPAPRU highlighted that the assistance aims to enhance small livelihood ventures, thereby improving the economic conditions of the beneficiaries. The Basilan provincial government has allocated approximately PHP4.5 million for the 'USAP TAYO GOB: Decommissioned Combatants' initiative. Each beneficiary under the OPAPRU-supported LNI Program received PHP15,000 in cash.

Basilan Governor Mujiv Hataman expressed his strong support for the peace body's development programs. He emphasized that communities will be peaceful if residents have stable livelihoods and that government programs contribute to this stability by functioning effectively without any disturbances.

Hataman also mentioned that the "USAP TAYO, GOB" initiative provides a platform for residents to directly voice their concerns, ensuring that issues requiring immediate attention are addressed promptly.