“I should not have listened to them,” reflects a teenager who learned a significant life lesson from a poor decision.
Over four years ago, a 19-year-old girl named Anna (not her real name) had a misunderstanding with her parents. During this difficult time, a woman befriended her, and it was the perfect opportunity for this woman to persuade Anna to join her. Seeking support, Anna took the plunge and went with them.
After two weeks of living with this group, she began questioning her choices, asking herself, “Nganong gibuhat mani nako, lisod diri need ka perming hilom, maski utot lisod kay kinahanglan hilom (Why am I doing this? I am here, but I don’t have the freedom to do anything. I have to live in silence; I even contained farting, which made life difficult),” Anna jokingly shares her thoughts.
The life Anna chose was not what she had imagined. At home, she could eat whenever she wanted, but in this new environment, she often went hungry because they could only cook their meals once the sun was up to avoid drawing attention to the smoke.
“I felt the guilt when I knew that my mother became ill worrying about me,” she expressed after Anna secretly visited their home. Anna decided to leave and asked permission from her superiors, but the request was denied. She pleaded, explaining that this was not the life she wanted and wished to finish her college degree.
Then, during a tense encounter, they were forced to use the firearms issued to them to fight back. “I was so scared; I had never used or even fired a gun before in my life,” Anna stated in her dialect.
She added that the encounter made her see things differently and feel remorse. When the second encounter happened, all she could think was whether she could return home afterward. The overwhelming fear engulfed her. She thought the group she joined had a leader, a leader who commands and leads the group. However, it was the other way around. Her companions were all running in search of safety, which cost several lives.
“Paghuman ato, nipugos nako to leave ug gisurender nako ang armas (After the second encounter, Anna firmly expressed her desire to leave the group and surrender her firearm).” She felt relieved when her comrades granted her request. She returned home.
Anna surrendered at the Bohol Police Provincial Office (BPPO). There, she received exceptional care, with security and shelter. She is one of 95 individuals participating in the Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program under Executive Order 70, which grants them access to various government programs and services.
Police Lieutenant Sarmiento from the Provincial Intelligence Unit of the Bohol Police Provincial Office (BPPO) stated that all necessary interventions and assistance were provided to Anna when she came to their office to surrender in 2020.
“When we learned that Anna was in her first year of studies when recruited, we lobbied for educational assistance to help her sustain and continue her education,” recalled PLT Sarmiento. The PNP unit ensured Anna’s security by providing her with non-uniformed personnel to escort her to school. “We did not want her to lose hope, so the BPPO supported her,” he added.
The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) gave Anna PHP 20,000 livelihood funds. Her parents are farmers, and she used the grant to augment their livelihood.
As a member of the E-CLIP, DSWD provided livelihood settlement grants to people like Anna through the Sustainable Livelihood Program.
Anna shared that the livelihood grant has helped her family, and it added to their family’s income. “Ang akong nakuha na Php 20,000 sa SLP gihatag nako sa akong mama ug gitukod namo gamay nga sari-sari store sa amo (the Php 20,000.00 from SLP; I gave it to my mother, and she used it to put up a sari-sari store.),” she added.
Additionally, surrenderers like Anna can get assistance through Assistance to Individuals (AICS) in Crisis Situations under the Crisis Intervention Section (CIS) of DSWD.
“Aside from the livelihood grant provided by the SLP, we also assisted her in her studies through the Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situations (AICS) program of the DSWD,” shared Christopher Anana, a project development officer who previously handled EO70 in the province of Bohol. He emphasized that the DSWD, Bohol Police Provincial Office, especially the Provincial Intelligence Unit (BPPO-PIU), and the provincial government were committed to addressing Anna’s needs because they recognized her determination to complete her education.
“Dako kaayo nakong pasalamat sa tanan nga nitabang nako nakahuman ko sa pag eskwela, naa ra gyud diay ang government andam motabang ang DSWD ang Kapulisan ug sa Province (I am incredibly grateful to everyone who supported me throughout my journey. With their help, along with assistance from the government, including the DSWD, the police, and the provincial authorities, I was able to finish school),” Anna expressed. She completed her bachelor’s degree in hospitality and management on July 17, 2023, in one of the colleges in the province.
She added that the government gave her a second chance and continued to support her even after her college graduation. From time to time, she could always run to PLt. Sarmiento for advice. DSWD for her tuition fees.
The provincial government advocated for her with potential employers. She initially worked for a short period at one of the restaurants in Panglao, but she was soon officially hired by a local government office. The Provincial Government of Bohol assisted her in finding employment.
Currently, her role involves helping individuals in crisis.
Faced with many challenges, she learned the importance of making prudent decisions and not being swayed by empty promises.
“Dili gyud ka modapig sa pikas kay sila ray makaguba sa atong pamilya, kita dapat dili ta magpa tintal nila kay ilaha ra tang gamiton, ila ra tang gisamok, ang magpa bilin sa ato ang kahadlok ra ug kalisang (Never side with the other group, as they are the only ones who can break a family).”
“We should not be tempted by them because they are merely using us. They have only caused us trouble, leaving us with fear and worry,” she said. ###
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