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The UP Broadcasters’ Guild gears up for its month-long silver anniversary celebration with advocacy-oriented events together with its partner community Lakas ng Nagkakaisang Kababaihan.
ROAD TO PEACE. Government troops open a two-kilometer road connecting Barangay Bud Bunga to Barangay Upper Sinumaan, Talipao, Sulu, in coordination with the provincial government. In a statement Thursday (April 14, 2022), the Army's 2nd Special Forces Battalion said its troops are also rehabilitating the five kilometer road that connects Upper Sinumaan and Lower Sinumaan, which are former Abu Sayyaf Group-influenced areas. (Photo courtesy of the 6th Special Forces Company) ZAMBOANGA CITY - Government troops mobilized their resources to open a new road and rehabilitate existing but non-passable road networks in an area previously influenced by Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG). Capt. Ron Villarosa, commander of the 6th Special Forces Company, said Thursday the two-kilometer road projects connecting Barangay Bud Bunga to Barangay Upper Sinumaan in Talipao, Sulu, is part of the Community Support Program of the 2nd Special Forces Battalion (2SFBn). In a statement, Villarosa said the opening and rehabilitation of the roads with the assistance of the Army's 545th Engineer Battalion and 12th Civil-Military Operation Battalion solved the decades-old accessibility problem in the area. As a counterpart, the provincial government of Sulu provided 10,000 liters of diesel fuel. "It's passable now although finishing touches are still being done," Villarosa said in a separate text message Thursday. The Army official said they are rehabilitating a five-kilometer road that connects Barangay Upper Sinumaan and Barangay Lower Sinumaan. Villarosa said they are undertaking the road projects with caution, noting that ASG fighters lurk just around 500 meters from the project. He also underscored the importance of the road projects in enabling the troops to "dominate the operational area," allowing the military to rapidly deploy troops within minutes. Earlier, he said government forces would take two to three days' hike to reach Bud Bunga, Upper Sinumaan and Lower Sinumaan. These areas are located at the foot of Mount Sinumaan, site of some of the most intense armed encounters in Talipao. (PNA) }
ZAMBOANGA CITY -The Army's 6th Special Forces Company (6SFC) has initiated the construction of a 10,000-liter concrete water tank to provide a stable water supply to a former bailiwick of the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) in Sulu. Capt. Ron Villarosa, 6SFC commander, said Saturday the project, which is set to finish on April 10, is located in Sitio Banglot, Barangay Upper Sinumaan, Talipao, Sulu. Villarosa said the project was being undertaken jointly by 6SFC personnel, militiamen, including ASG surrenderers. "This (project) is to tighten our grip in the community and to develop it to be a resilient community to deter violent extremism," Villarosa said in a phone interview. He said they were able to take control of the place in November last year after months of mass base operations. "No project is implemented in Sitio Banglot since the ASG is in control of the place," he said. He said that Mary Joy Bustamante of MJB Cares Foundation donated PHP30,000 cash for the project. Counterpart water hoses were provided by Talipao Municipal Task Force to End Local Armed Conflict (MTF ELAC), while the Sulu office of the Ministry of Social Services and Development in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (MSSD-BARMM) enrolled the workers under their Food-For-Work Program. The MTF-ELAC is Sulu's counterpart to the national government's Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (TF-ELCAC). Villarosa said the project is implemented through the direction of the 2nd Special Forces Battalion, which is under the operational control of the 1101st Infantry Brigade. "This is the change we are looking for. Through this water tank, we can properly cleanse ourselves before praying," Abu Mawang, who is among the former ASG working on the project, said in a statement. "We can also plant vegetables since water will now be available", he added. Before praying, Muslims perform "Wudu", a ceremony that includes the washing of hands, face, and feet, and the availability of water will strengthen this religious practice. Villarosa said the completion of the project will help expand socio-economic opportunities, such as vegetable farming, due to the availability of sustainable and reliable water supply. Aside from Sitio Banglot, 11 other sitios of Barangay Upper Sinumaan, Talipao, will benefit from the project once completed. The last concrete water tank catering to the residents of Barangay Sinumaan was constructed during the 1970s. The tank has only 500 liters capacity. (PNA) }
FEEDING PROGRAM. The Army's 6th Special Forces Company, in partnership with various stakeholders, launches the month-long feeding program on Monday (March 21, 2022) to entice more than 100 learners in Bud Bunga, Talipao, Sulu, to pursue their studies. The learners include children of Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) surrenderers. (Photo courtesy of 6SFC ) ZAMBOANGA CITY - The Army's 6th Special Forces Company (SFC) has initiated a month-long feeding program to encourage schoolchildren in Talipao, Sulu, to pursue their studies. Capt. Ron Villarosa, 6SFC commander, said Wednesday the feeding program is in partnership with Century Tuna Pacific Group, Gawad Kalinga, Bud Bunga Barangay Council, and volunteer teachers who belong to the group called SULADS, or Socio-economic Uplift, Literacy, Anthropological, and Developmental Services. Villarosa said they launched the feeding program Monday so that the children will no longer have to go home at noontime and then return in the afternoon for their classes. The recipients are the more than 100 Grade 1 to Grade 4 learners of the newly inaugurated Peace Formation and Learning Center in Sitio Larang, Barangay Bud Bunga, Talipao. Villarosa said at least 15 of the learners are sons and daughters of former members of the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG), who have already surrendered to live a peaceful life together with their families. "It will take them (children) an hour to arrive home and another hour to reach the learning center. They are not even sure whether there is food to eat when they arrive home," Villarosa said. He said the children are being fed at lunchtime with a complete meal consisting of rice, vegetables, and canned goods. The Parent-Teacher Association, together with the four by SULAD volunteer-teachers, are in-charge of the food preparation, according to Villarosa. Meanwhile, Villarosa said parents of the children also attended tutorial classes during weekends. "They are being taught how to read and write," Villarosa disclosed citing some of them have just reached Grade 2 during their childhood days. The 6SFC, which belongs to the Army's 2nd Special Force Battalion, initiated the program together with concerned stakeholders to deter the ASG from recruiting new members in Talipao. "We deter violent extremism through developmental efforts,' Villarosa said. "More than just fighting the enemy, we are here to build communities." The activity will be sustained by the Talipao Municipal Task Force to End Local Armed Conflict (MTF-ELAC) through the nourishment program of the Department of Social Welfare and Development. The MTF-ELAC is Sulu's version of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict. (PNA) }
To boost rice production and help farmers increase their income in Surigao del Norte, the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) recently turned over a farm truck and a mobile rice mill plus farm inputs to two agrarian reform beneficiaries organizations (ARBOs) in the province. The portable rice mill worth P998,000…
COMMUNITY DEFENDERS. The Army's 11th Infantry Division (ID) trains two batches of reservists and one batch of militiamen in 2021 to fortify the community's defense against the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) bandits in the province of Sulu. The first batch of reservists completes basic military training of the Army's 11th Infantry Division (ID) in Jolo, Sulu on Jan. 23, 2021 and forms part of the first-ever Sulu Ready Reserve Battalion. Also completing the training are another batch of reservists in December 2021 and one batch of militiamen in March 2021. (Photo courtesy of the 11ID Public Affairs Unit) ZAMBOANGA CITY - The year 2021 saw the Philippine Army, through the three-year-old 11th Infantry Division (ID), strengthening its community defense against the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) bandits in the province of Sulu. It started with the activation of the first-ever Sulu Ready Reserve Battalion in January. Initially, the members of the battalion comprised 195 Tausugs, who graduated on January 23 from a 45-day Basic Citizen Military Training (BCMT) conducted by the Philippine Army Reserve Command. The graduates, who composed the BCMT Class 01-20, came from different areas of Patikul town, Sulu. The BCMT is an entry-level training course undertaken by Filipino citizens, who intend to enlist in the reserve force of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP). Maj. Gen. William Gonzales, 11ID commander, said the activation of a Ready Reserve Battalion in Sulu was based on guidance from Department of National Defense (DND) Sec. Delfin Lorenzana, who wanted to strengthen security in the province. "The residents of Patikul are very lucky to be the first reservist batch in Sulu," said Sulu Gov. Abdusakur Tan, who is a reservist with a rank of major. The duties and responsibilities of the reservists are to assist in disaster relief and rescue operations, socio-economic development, and operations of critical utilities of affiliated reserve units; and as a base expansion of regular force in the event of war, rebellion, or natural emergencies. In March, the 11ID recruited and trained some 110 Tausug natives to join the Citizen Armed Force Geographical Unit (CAFGU) to serve as part of the community defense forces. Gonzales said that those recruited were natural-born Filipinos in Sulu, 18 to 48 years old, with no pending case and physically fit to perform duty. Lt. Col. Jooney Jay Businos, 2nd Special Forces Battalion commander, who headed the recruitment, said that the 110 CAFGU recruits have undergone screening to include neuropsychological and other medical tests. They were trained at the headquarters of the 2nd Special Forces Battalion in Barangay Bilaan, Talipao, Sulu. Gonzales said they recruited Tausugs to join the CAFGU since the Task Force for Ending Local Armed Conflict (TF-ELAC) is returning internally displaced people (IDP) to their hometowns. The TF-ELAC is Sulu's version of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC). "Whenever we implement the Balik Barangay Program, local chiefs request the establishment of patrol bases to prevent members of the Abu Sayyaf Group from retaliating against civilians who support the government forces in eradicating terrorism," Gonzales said. The CAFGU was created in 1987 through Executive Order No. 264 to complement the operations of regular military forces. The latest addition to the Sulu Ready Reserve Battalion is a group composed of 300 Tausug tribe members who completed on December 16 a 45-day Basic Citizen Military Training (BCMT) conducted by the 906th Community Defense Center of the Army Reserve Command. They belong to the BCMT Class 02-2021 that included the youth sector, militiamen, and other individuals coming from various fields such as education, engineering, and local governance. "Although this batch is composed of reserve privates, its diverse demographic will add value to what the ready reserve battalion can do to advance our campaign for peace here in the province," Gonzales said. "Our youth will be less vulnerable to the recruitment of terror groups. Instead, they will be ambassadors of peace," he added. One of the graduates is 31-year-old Sharryhama Serajani, who holds a Nursing degree and works at the Jolo municipal government. Serajani said that during her childhood days, she didn't really understand the work of a soldier. "After I completed the training, I already understand the purpose why there are soldiers assigned in our place," Serajani said citing she like to be part of the changes and development in Sulu as a reservist. Gonzales said the reservists will become part of the Army's future structure, a regular force supported by a strong reservist force. The reservists have a crucial role in stabilizing Sulu's socio-economic situation aside from providing additional manpower to the Philippine Army in dealing with external and territorial threats, according to Gonzales. "They can help in strengthening education, employment, order and safety," he added. He said that the Sulu Ready Reserve Battalion is now composed of 495 very talented individuals. They include the 195 Tausugs who graduated on January 23 and the 300 individuals, also Tausugs, who completed training on December 16. Lt. Col. Andres Soriano, 906th Community Defense Center director, said they are planning to train around 600 individuals to man Sulu's first ready reserve battalion. President Rodrigo Duterte, accompanied by Lorenzana, led the activation of the 11ID on December 17, 2018 at Kuta Heneral Teodulfo Bautista, headquarters of Joint Task Force (JTF)-Sulu in Barangay Bus-Bus, Jolo, Sulu. Composed of units already present in Sulu working under JTF-Sulu, the various units were formed into a new Division dedicated in fighting the Islamic State for Iraq and Syria (ISIS)-affiliated terrorist groups in the province. (PNA) }
COMMUNITY DEFENDERS. The first batch of reservists completes basic military training of the Army's 11th Infantry Division (ID) in Jolo, Sulu on Jan. 23, 2021 and forms part of the first-ever Sulu Ready Reserve Battalion to fortify the community defense against the Abu Sayyaf Group bandits in Sulu. The 11ID also completed the training of another batch of reservists in December 2021 and one batch of militiamen in March 2021. (Photo courtesy of the 11ID Public Affairs Unit) ZAMBOANGA CITY - The year 2021 caught sight of the Philippine Army, through the three-year-old 11th Infantry Division (ID), strengthening the community defense against the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) bandits in the province of Sulu. The community defense build-up started with the activation of the first-ever Sulu Ready Reserve Battalion (SRRB) in January this year. Initially, the members of the SRRB comprised 195 Tausugs, who have graduated on January 23 from a 45-day Basic Citizen Military Training (BCMT) conducted by the Philippine Army Reserve Command. The graduates, which comprised the BCMT Class 01-20, came from different areas of Patikul, Sulu. The BCMT is an entry-level training course undertaken by Filipino citizens, who intend to enlist in the reserve force of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP). Maj. Gen. William Gonzales, 11ID commander, said the activation of the SRRB was based on guidance from Department of National Defense (DND) Sec. Delfin Lorenzana who wanted to bolster security in the province. "The residents of Patikul are very lucky to be the first reservist batch in Sulu," said Sulu Gov. Abdusakur Tan, who is a reservist with a rank of major. The duties and responsibilities of the reservists are to assist in disaster relief and rescue operations, socio-economic development, and operations of critical utilities of affiliated reserve units; and as a base expansion of regular force in the event of war, rebellion, or natural emergencies. In March, the 11ID recruited and trained some 110 Tausug natives to join the Citizen Armed Force Geographical Unit (CAFGU) to serve as part of the community defense forces. Gonzales said that those recruited were natural-born Filipinos in Sulu, 18 to 48 years old, with no pending case and physically fit to perform duty. Lt. Col. Jooney Jay Businos, 2nd Special Forces Battalion commander, who headed the recruitment, said the 110 CAFGU recruits have undergone screening to include neuropsychological and other medical tests. They were trained at the headquarters of the 2nd Special Forces Battalion in Barangay Bilaan, Talipao, Sulu. Gonzales said they recruited Tausugs to join the CAFGU since the Task Force for Ending Local Armed Conflict (TF-ELAC) is returning internally displaced people (IDP) to their hometowns. The TF-ELAC is the Sulu's version of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC). "Whenever we implement the Balik Barangay Program, local chiefs request the establishment of patrol bases to prevent members of the ASG from retaliating against civilians who support the government forces in eradicating terrorism," Gonzales said. The CAFGU was created in 1987 through Executive Order No. 264 to complement the operations of regular military forces. The latest addition to the SRRB is a group composed of 300 Tausug tribe members who completed on December 16 their 45-day BCMT conducted by the 906th Community Defense Center of the Army Reserve Command. They belong to the BCMT Class 02-2021 that included the youth sector, militiamen, and other individuals coming from various fields such as education, engineering, and local governance. "Although this batch is composed of reserve privates, its diverse demographic will add value to what the ready reserve battalion can do to advance our campaign for peace here in the province," Gonzales said. "Our youth will be less vulnerable to the recruitment of terror groups. Instead, they will be ambassadors of peace," he added. One of the graduates is 31-year-old Sharryhama Serajani, who holds a nursing degree and works at the Jolo municipal government. Serajani recalled that during her childhood days, she did not understand the works of a soldier. "(However), after I completed the training, I understood the purpose why there are soldiers assigned in our place," Serajani said citing she like to be part of the changes and development in Sulu as a reservist. Gonzales said the reservists will become part of the Army's future structure, a regular force supported by a strong reservist force. The reservists have a crucial role in stabilizing Sulu's socio-economic situation aside from providing additional manpower to the Philippine Army in dealing with external and territorial threats, according to Gonzales. "They can help in strengthening education, employment, order, and safety," he added. He said the SRRB is now composed of 495 talented individuals that included 195 Tausugs who graduated on January 23 and the 300 individuals, also Tausugs, who completed training on December 16. Lt. Col. Andres Soriano, director of the 906th Community Defense Center, said they are planning to train around 600 individuals to complete the SRRB force. President Rodrigo Duterte, accompanied by Lorenzana, led the activation of the 11ID on December 17, 2018 at Kuta Heneral Teodulfo Bautista, the headquarters of Joint Task Force (JTF) - Sulu in Barangay Bus-Bus, Jolo, Sulu. Composed of units actively working under JTF-Sulu, the various corps were formed into the new 11ID dedicated to fighting the Islamic State for Iraq and Syria - affiliated terrorist groups in the province. (PNA) }