PUP, parents join hands to protect youth from CTG recruitment
By Marita Moaje / Philippine News Agency
MANILA – Students victimized by deceptive recruitment of youth groups allegedly affiliated with Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army-National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF) will benefit from an intervention program hatched by the Hands Off Our Children Movement, Inc. (HOOCM, Inc.) and the Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP).
A Memorandum of Understanding was signed on April 15, 2021 by HOOCM and the PUP Psychology Department and Psychology Graduate School for a Psychology Extension Program that will provide training and psychosocial interventions.
“One of the objectives of the University is to provide extension service programs to its target beneficiaries as it is dedicated to extending its expertise to the community through the College of Social Sciences and Development-Psychology Department and Graduate School–Master of Arts in Psychology,” the MOU read.
PUP will provide mental health services while HOOCM will turn over the information of students recruited by groups such as Anakbayan, Anakpawis, League of Filipino Students, and Kabataan Party-list.
PUP and HOOCM will also try to get into the bottom of communist terrorist groups’ (CTG) recruitment and how they agitate students into joining the armed conflict.
HOOCM, Inc. is composed of parents whose children were recruited inside universities where they were enrolled.
Before they knew it, their children are already deeply involved in CPP-NPA-NDF organizations and eventually leave home.
"Putting aside our political beliefs and focusing on making a conducive and peaceful space for our children has motivated us to work as one," HOOCM said in a statement. (PNA)