TACLOBAN CITY-In yet another effort to end the insurgency problem in Eastern Samar in particular, a program was launched on Wednesday (Oct.4) active members of the New People’s Army (NPA) are encouraged to return to the fold of the law by their own loved ones.

The program, Friends Rescued Engagement through their Families (FReE Families) was launched in Borongan City and attended by several mayors of the province and military officials led by B/Gen. Noel Vestuir, the commanding officer of the 802nd Infantry Brigade which is based in Borongan City.

It was learned from Vestuir that 29 family members of 19 active NPA rebels attended the launching of the program.

The FReE Families project aims to help the families of active NPA members from the anxiety caused by the continued membership of their relatives in the communist armed group, he added.

“Since hatred ang puhunan ng NPA, para ma recruit sila, pagmamahal naman ng pamilya ang pantapat natin dyan para bumaba na sila,” Vestuir said.

The Army official said that these family members are also being pressured by the leaders of the NPA to join or support the armed struggle through disinformation such as instilling hate and fear of the government.

Governor Ben Evardone expressed his support and commitment on the program, Vestuir said.

“Let’s show them that love can defeat the anger planted by the CPP-NPA in the hearts of your relatives. As the Army Commander here in the southern part of Samar, I assure you that they will be treated well once they surrender,” Vestuir said.

Eastern Samar like its neighboring provinces of Samar and Northern Samar continues to face the problem on insurgency.

Military officials in the region have projected to end the insurgency problem within the year or early next year.
(JOEY A. GABIETA)

CATARMAN, Northern Samar-– The rice stock from National Food Authority (NFA) was sold at P27 per kilo during the launch of Kadiwa sa NIA at the Northern Samar Irrigation Management Office (NSIMO) in Brgy. Dalakit, Catarman, on September 15.

Low-income households took advantage of the affordable price offered during the event at the NIA compound.

National Food Authority Information Officer Juvee Ann Gremio, in her message of support, informed that NFA rice available in their office is locally procured from the local farmers.
She pointed out that due to the Tariffication Law, NFA no longer imports rice from Thailand and Vietnam.

She said that NFA’s mission has been reduced to maintaining emergency buffer stocks and no longer selling retail rice in the market.

“Since our stocks are coming from domestic sources, we can assure the public that we have quality local rice with no smell,” Gremio said.

“We are aggressively buying palay from our local farmers to refresh our limited stocks, that is why we encouraged them to produce more and sell it to NFA,” she added.
The information officer said their office buys clean and dry palay at P23 per kilo, while for the fresh and wet is P18 per kilo.

During the launch, NFA was able to sell 10 bags or 50 kilos of rice at P27 per kilo to poor families in Brgy. Dalakit, Catarman.

‘Kadiwa sa NIA’ is in support of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s agenda which seeks to empower the farming community by providing a direct and effective farm-to-consumer food supply chain.
(MMP/TBC/PIA Northern Samar)

The Philippine Press Institute (PPI), also known as the National Association of Newspapers and considered the oldest media organization in the country, has been instrumental in the creation of media or councils in some parts of the country since 2022.

There are now six media-citizen councils that have been established in Batangas, Iloilo, Davao, Central Luzon, Aklan, and Leyte-Samar.

The first three were conceived and virtually launched during the pandemic on August 19, 2022. The last three were created immediately after a three-legged orientation and workshop in 2023.

The first press council in the Philippines was created by virtue of Republic Act No. 4363 enacted on June 19, 1965. It was said to have been abolished with the proclamation of Martial Law in 1972.

Since its revival in 1993, the Philippine Press Council founded by the Philippine Press Institute has evolved and is now a platform to address various media issues and concerns within the community, apart from being a mechanism for Right of Reply and redress within the Philippine Press Institute.

Its membership was extended to representatives from the academic, business, and legal sectors. With the establishment of a contemporary media-citizen council since 2022, its composition has expanded to include other sectors such as medical professionals, LGBTQIA+, vloggers, LGUs, military, police, an electric cooperative in the case of the Leyte-Samar Media-Citizen Council which saw the need to have a regional council and invite a wide array of non-media sectors crucial to demographic inclusivity.

“Each Council is unique in that sense. The sectoral representatives in (a) Council Board vary from one council to another, as so vetted by a core group who initially decides on the membership composition and structure, before they could even elect their officers,” says Ariel Sebellino, PPI executive director.

This year with support from the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, PPI conducted orientation and seminar workshops for the creation of three additional media-citizen councils Central Luzon (regional), Aklan, and Leyte-Samar (regional).

In the orientation and workshop in Tacloban City for the Leyte Samar Media-Citizen Council held on August 29-30 this year, PPI Seminar Director and Manila Standard managing editor Joyce Babe Pañares, cited two reasons for PPI’s perseverance and dedication in pursuing the creation of media councils across the country: first, as a protection mechanism for media by gathering the support of its natural allies as well as providing a grievance mechanism and platform and second, is to hold media accountable.

“We want to start with addressing the eroded trusts plus attacks in the form of libel case, mga cease-and-desist orders galing sa LGUs. Kung minsan mga treats against our reporters, editors and publishers, to actual killings in media,” she said.

In the offing is the establishment of media-citizen councils in Surigao, General Santos, and Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) through the support from IMS. (Rissa Silvestre, PPI)