Taganito HPAL Nickel Asia Corporation (THPAL) coordinated with the Army’s 30th Infantry Battalion in handing out relief goods to 489 indigenous people (IP) families who were affected by the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) in Surigao del Norte.
Commander of 30th IB Lt. Col. Jeffrey Villarosa said IPs are among the most affected during the ECQ.
“Aside from their vulnerability during the community quarantine, our IPs are also continuously exploited by the Communist New People’s Army Terrorists (CNTs) as their source of recruits to beef-up their forces against the government in the area,” Villarosa was quoted in a report.
This is part of the army’s effort to give value and support to the IPs and save them from the exploitations of the NPA rebels, he added.
Mayor Chandru Bonite and community relations officer Marites Tero were also present during the handing out of goods in Gigaquit Surigao del Norte.
IP communities who received the relief goods belong to CADT-048 (Certificate of Ancestral Domain Title-048) holders situated in the province of Surigao del Norte, Tero said.
THPAL aims to ensure that IPs in the area will have enough supplies during the quarantine period, Tero added.
