La Union-based organization harassed for helping children
MANILA — Project Namnama (or “hope” in Ilocano) is an organization dedicated to providing education and humanitarian relief for children of the coastal communities in La Union. However, their core members were unexpectedly visited by the military in their homes several times.
Since March 3, siblings Joey and Francia, have been persistently visited by soldiers who claimed to be from the 5th Infantry Division (ID) of the Philippine Army (PA), asking the whereabouts of their organization Project Namnama. In a separate incident, Marco, another member of their organization, was also visited by military elements also claiming to be from 5th ID on March 19, asking his personal whereabouts and his organization’s.
“They showed us an organizational chart with me and my sibling as part of it. It is alarming since these are the internal details of our organization in Project Namnama, reportedly gathered by their intelligence officer,” Joey said in an interview with Bulatlat.
The military visits in the residence of Joey and Francia were followed with persistent text messages asking their whereabouts. The siblings are left with no choice but to block them.
“They are urging us to help them finish their job. To write and sign an affidavit stating that our organization, Project Namnama, is no longer active,” Joey said.
Due to these incidents, they filed a formal complaint with the regional office of the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) in San Fernando City, La Union, on March 21.
Despite this, the individuals claiming to be from the 5th ID still visited Marco’s residence on March 23. While they failed to reach him, Marco’s family told the soldiers that they would only engage with them with the presence of legal counsel or a court order. The military visits in his residence were caught on CCTV.
“This is alarming since they know our details and our families,” Joey said. “These impede our operations in the community since they were intimidating our fellow members and officers. Our third sibling, who is a minor, is also part of our organization.”
“We are trying our best to brave the threats, fight back against the harassment of the military and to continue our activities,” Joey said.
military visit in Marco’s residence, caught in CCTV | Contributed photo
Services to the children
Since its establishment in November 2022, Project Namnama has provided school supplies to children. When the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions were relaxed, the group established a community library and conducted community-based lessons.
In an interview with Bulatlat, Project Namnama’s founder Oliver said that their goal is to bridge the gap in the education of children in coastal communities, considered the most vulnerable area of La Union.
“We provide community-based learning sessions. The premise of these sessions are using all the resources and materials available in the community to facilitate the children’s learning,” Oliver said. “For example, our curriculum facilitates the first-hand problems of the children there. So we conduct disaster preparedness learning sessions, using the materials readily available in their community.”
Aside from their community-based disaster education, the organization has other projects like children storytelling workshop, commemorative and solidarity activities, climate justice field-trip (lakbay-aral), poetry reading partnership, and paskuhan, among other forms of socio-economic and psycho-social relief.
Unrelenting attacks
The cases of harassment and intimidation are not new to Project Namnama. Despite their humanitarian work, security forces hounded their initiatives. Oliver recalled that in early 2023, the community library they established in Sitio Nagpanaoan, Barangay Alaska, Aringay, La Union, was visited by elements of the Philippine National Police (PNP), questioning the village council member. They accuse the organization of propagating “anti-government readings” for the children.
In October 2023, red-tagging posters targeting one of the council members of Barangay Alaska appeared publicly, maliciously identifying them as a “friend and supporter” of revolutionary organizations Communist Party of the Philippines (CPA) and New People’s Army (NPA). Due to extreme fear, Elvira requested the removal of the community library from their barangay.
In a document retrieved by Project Namnama from the barangay officials, the recent military visits were in accordance with the “Community Support Program” of the 5th ID, with the support of La Union’s Provincial Governor Raphaelle Veronica “Rafy” Ortega-David. The November 2024 letter prompted the barangay officials to accompany the 5th ID in their unexpected house-to-house visits to the members of Project Namnama.
“Later, in February of this year, other community members reported that individuals claiming to be police personnel showed them pictures of our members and inquired about our whereabouts,” Project Namnama said in a statement.
Children’s Rehabilitation Center (CRC), a non-profit organization dedicated to defending children’s rights and welfare, said that the incidents are not isolated cases but rather part of the disturbing pattern of harassment and intimidation by state forces.”
In the monitoring of regional human rights watchdog Ilocos Human Rights Alliance (IHRA), there have been seven cases of threats, harassment, and intimidation in the Ilocos region since the beginning of this year. In an earlier Bulatlat report, fisherfolks have been forced to surrender since the first week of January in the name of ayuda (socio-economic relief).
Read: In La Union, fisherfolks forced to ‘surrender’ in exchange for ayuda
Violation to children’s rights
CRC stressed that the impact of the abovementioned attacks on community education is devastating. “These incidents directly impede children’s access to crucial educational programs and resources, hindering their development and progress.”
“The constant threat of harassment and intimidation creates a climate of fear, discouraging participation in educational activities and undermining children’s sense of safety and security,” CRC said.
Not only the children beneficiaries are at risk in this situation, but also the minor volunteers who actively take part in the organization’s initiatives. Project Namnama has members as young as 15 years old.
“Children in the coastal communities are victims of extreme poverty. ‘Nagpanaoan’ (their sitio) means “deprived” or “displaced” because the sea is swallowing their communities,” Oliver said. “They struggle with clean drinking water, water for cleaning, and even for bathing. The sitio is also located in a far-flung area, prompting children to experience difficulty just to get to school.”
Project Namnama called for an end to the military harassment and intimidation of their members. They also sought support from their friends, supporters, and their partners in the ongoing incidents.
“We are alarmed by this invasion of our privacy and safety. This constitutes illegal surveillance and harassment, violating our rights. We are not engaged in any illegal activities; we are simply volunteering to address educational gaps in our communities,” the members said in a collective statement. (AMU, DAA)
Author’s note: The names of Project Namnama’s members have been altered to protect their identity and privacy.
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