Buklod Kapayapaan Empowers Youth at CLSU Forum

MUÑOZ, NUEVA ECIJA — On July 23, 2026, the Buklod Kapayapaan Federation, Inc. (BKFI) held a forum titled “Empowering Minds, Building Resilience” at Central Luzon State University (CLSU). Hundreds of students and university personnel gathered to discuss ending the cycle of violence that disproportionately affects the youth.

BKFI, a nationwide federation of former CPP-NPA-NDF members established in April 2025 and led by Noel Legaspi, framed the event around education, critical thinking, and civic participation as tools against radicalization. The organization thanked CLSU, the CLSU Parents, Guardians and Teachers Association (PGTA), Cleared CL, FR CIRCLE, and TAMA Youth for their support.

The forum occurs against the backdrop of a sharply diminished communist insurgency. According to government data, NPA strength has fallen to around 780 fighters nationwide—down from a peak of about 25,000 in the 1980s. From January to early August 2026 alone, the AFP reported neutralizing roughly 970 NPA members and supporters (862 of whom surrendered). Localized peace efforts have reintegrated tens of thousands of former rebels through programs such as E-CLIP and the government’s amnesty proclamation.

Yet the human cost remains stark. BKFI data show that Negros Island has become the epicenter of NPA “spy-tagging” killings of civilians. From 2021 to mid-2026, at least 59 such executions were documented nationwide, with the vast majority (51) occurring in Negros—49 of them between January 2025 and May 2026 alone. Victims have included farmers, barangay officials, former rebels, and ordinary civilians.

At the CLSU forum, speakers underscored the same message: every individual—student, family member, or community leader—has a role in building a more resilient and peaceful environment. Participants were encouraged to remain critical, vigilant, and actively involved in constructive civic work rather than being drawn into cycles of recruitment and violence.

BKFI’s campus engagement reflects a broader shift. As the armed strength of the CPP-NPA continues to erode and thousands of former combatants reintegrate, the focus is increasingly on preventing the next generation from being recruited. Education and open dialogue, the organizers said, remain the most effective long-term defenses against the legacy of a 57-year conflict that has claimed tens of thousands of lives.

The CLSU forum stands as a practical example of that strategy in action—turning former combatants’ hard-won experience into tools that help young people choose peace.