Authorities have started processing the amnesty applications of 133 former rebels with pending cases from eight barangays in Kalamansig, Sultan Kudarat.

The former members of the New People’s Army (NPA) were accommodated during the processing of their amnesty applications at the Municipal Hall on Wednesday, February 11, 2026.

The activity was led by the Local Amnesty Board in Mindanao, military, police, local government unit, and representative from the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation, and Unity (OPAPRU)

The applicants have already surrendered and are now seeking amnesty to clear their previous cases and start anew under the government’s reintegration program.

“Sa amnesty kaning nag-apply karon, nag-surrender na ni sila og naay mga kaso. Karon, ang ginakuan nato dinhi, parang malimpyo na sila,” Momay Suat, secretariat of the Support to Peace Building and Normalization (SPAN) Programme, said.

Local officials admitted that insurgency remains a concern in the town.

Negotiations and peace-building efforts are ongoing to encourage more NPA combatants to return to the folds of the law.

“Insurgency is not an ordinary problem. It is an economic and social injustice problem,” Mayor Ronan Eugene Garcia said.

As part of the reintegration efforts, the local government is promoting a “coffee for peace” initiative to address social injustice and poverty.

Under the program, former rebels will be supported through coffee farming, including the establishment of nurseries, purchase of seedlings, and provision of fertilizers for up to three years.

Garcia said the initiative is expected to help beneficiaries achieve sustainable income and rise above the poverty level.

“Yung kape para sa kapayapaan ko ang focus kasi ngayon. Magtatayo sila ng nursery, bibilhin natin ang bawat seedling na ipoproduce nila at itatanim sa sarili nilang lupa. Tapos bibigyan ka namin ng abono ng tatlong taon. After 3 years mabuhay kana at above poverty level ka pa, why kinompute na namin yan,” Garcia added.

The local government added that those with prior knowledge in coffee farming are among the target beneficiaries.

Currently, about 8,000 hectares of land in the town are planted with coffee. The local government is aiming to expand this to 10,000 hectares within six years.