The Provincial Peace and Order Council of Negros Oriental has recommended the reversion of funds intended for peace and order efforts and initiatives to other purposes, in line with the government’s national greening and Bantay Lasang program.

Gov. Roel Degamo, in his letter to the Sangguniang Panlalawigan dated March 12, 2014, requested the SP members to revise the P2 million allotted for peace and order and another P2 million for fuel, oil and lubricants for the PPOC monitoring, and appropriate the amounts for the rice subsidy of Bantay Lasang members.

The governor also requested the SP in another letter, dated May 2, to amend P1.032 million for peace and order initiatives, forest protection program, and hiring of Bantay Gubat, and appropriate P832,000 for the purchase of rice for Bantay Gubat and the SCAA, and P200,000 to augment the appropriation for operation and maintenance of the PPOC.

Both requests were presented at the PPOC meeting at the old SP session hall yesterday, and were approved by its members.

The amount is part of the P34-million appropriation for peace and order initiatives of Negros Oriental.

Officer II Charlie Fabre of the Community Environment and Natural Resources said the 120-130 Bantay Lasang members are assigned to peoples’ organizations and 18 to the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process to concentrate on the forest cover of the Twin Lakes in Balinsasayao and surrounding areas.

The Bantay Lasang members are hired by the government, under the National Greening Program, with a monthly salary of P4,000 to guard the forest and to produce at least 6,000 seedlings at the end of the year.

Fabre said the forest guards need to be concentrated in Ayungon butunder the NGP, their duty is extended to as far as Basay in the south and Guihulngan in the north.*JG

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