Dominguez, who traveled aboard a cargo truck on Saturday to Barangay Kinam to accept the surrender of over 200 armed supporters of the New People’s Army (NPA), saw for himself the depressing state of the road to that village.

It normally takes two hours to travel to Kinam from here passing through 26 streams and rivers. But, on rainy days, it would take days to reach the village.

In accepting the mass base of the NPA back into the folds of the law, Dominguez said the government will open opportunities for them to live a better life.

"No doleouts here, they must work together with us in improving their lives," the governor told newsmen, referring to the NPA supporters who are mostly residents of the area.

The surrender of the NPA mass base was seen as a big blow to the communist movement in the area.

Last month, soldiers overran an NPA base in Sitio Amlok of that village.

The residents yielded to the government some 54 high-powered firearms and 147 home-made guns.

Kinam has a population of about 10,000 mostly tribal B’laan.

Army 601st Infantry Brigade commander Col. Alfredo Cayton said some 3,000 of the residents in the area have earlier expressed open support to the NPA.

On Saturday, however, the residents declared they would no longer support the communist movement and instead work along with a government program to develop their place and improve their living conditions.