Las nieves: Once known as "Kumander Dahon" in the communist movement, Higaonon tribe leader Datu Lino Namatindong has traded decades of armed struggle for rows of squash, banana, and bamboo-a transformation that now sustains more than 100 Higaonon families inside their ancestral domain in Sitio Ilaw-ilaw, Barangay Lawan-lawan, Las Nieves, Agusan del Norte.
According to Philippines News Agency, Namatindong first joined the New People's Army in 1979 and laid down his arms in 1994. However, the absence of support and persistent threats to his life drove him back to the mountains in 2006. In 2023, he returned once more-this time for good-choosing peace and settling in his ancestral domain.
"Our ancestral land was encroached by big logging companies in the 1970s. My tribe felt hopeless in defending our homes, and that was the reason I joined the rebel movement," Namatindong said during a visit by government peace and development officials on February 18. He recalled that family members and fellow tribesmen followed him to the mountains to take up arms. Among them were four of his sons and a daughter.
His 1994 surrender faltered due to lack of support and threats from within the tribe. He returned to the mountains in 2006, hardened by years of hardship-unforgiving terrain, hunger, sleepless nights, and the death of a son in an encounter. "I can no longer recall the exact date when one of my sons was killed in an encounter. That was a heavy burden for me," Namatindong said. "But it did not stop me from waging war, because the movement made me believe that justice for my son, and the rest of my tribesmen, could only be achieved through armed struggle. Later, I realized those promises were false."
When the government rolled out its whole-of-nation approach to end the insurgency, Agusan del Norte launched service caravans delivering basic services to isolated communities. Government agencies and local leaders also held dialogues to encourage rebels to return through the Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program (ECLIP). "I had already heard about the service caravans and the ECLIP through government campaigns. Inside the movement, we were told the program was just a ploy to lure us into surrender," Namatindong recalled.
But as more comrades laid down arms and shared stories of benefits received, he began to reconsider. In 2023, Namatindong, along with his sons, a daughter, and nine other tribe members, formally surrendered. "I told myself it was time to settle down and live peacefully," he said. "I was already tired-my family was tired, and so were the communities in our ancestral domain, weary from these conflicts."
After surrendering, the group underwent deradicalization and received livelihood aid to help rebuild their lives. They organized an association called Mapapasana Malingkawasnong Pagpalambo sa Panginabuhi sa mga Namatindong, formally registered in mid-2024. Namatindong's daughter Didang explained the name reflects their journey-"the struggle of the Namatindongs from the mountains down to the plains for livelihood and development."
Through ECLIP and support from Gov. Maria Angelica Rosedell Amante, the group received PHP50,000 for squash production, PHP65,000 for individual banana projects, and a three-wheeled vehicle for transport. They cleared 30 hectares for farming, planting eight hectares of squash by early 2025. "We prioritized squash because it can be harvested quickly," said Rina, Namatindong's wife. They also underwent training from the Department of Agriculture and TESDA on production and value-adding, including squash noodles and banana chips.
By late 2025, the group celebrated their first squash harvest, earning PHP600,000 in gross sales. Markets in Buenavista, Nasipit, and Butuan City now buy their produce. They purchased a truck for transport and three motorcycles for farm work, with plans to expand by another eight hectares this year. Alias Ronie, 46, a former platoon leader under Namatindong, began harvesting from his 1.4-hectare banana plantation last year, earning PHP2,000 to PHP2,500 per harvest. He has since expanded to three hectares.
Namatindong earned over PHP150,000 from his banana farm last year, using it to build a house in Sitio Ilaw-ilaw. Other clan members followed, constructing homes funded by farm income. The group is now preparing to venture into squash noodles and banana chips. Amante also provided over 800 bamboo seedlings, now thriving. They have opened a one-hectare siling labuyo farm, a high-demand crop in provincial markets.
"I am at peace now with my family, clan, and in farming. Life today is far different from before-free from violence and conflict," Namatindong said. He urged remaining NPA rebels to accept the government's peace offer through ECLIP and choose a life of stability.
