70 ex-gunsmiths now work as Danao's forest rangers

CEBU, Philippines — A total of 70 former gunsmiths graduated from the Project Trident: Livelihood Program, making them the first batch of former gun-makers who are now designated as forest rangers and eco-tourism guides under the local government unit (LGU) of the City of Danao.

The program is part of the LGU's transformative stride toward peace, sustainability, and social reintegration of former gunsmiths.

The graduation ceremony, held at the Project Trident Training Center in Barangay Sabang on Saturday, June 7, marked a historic pivot in the city’s journey from a legacy of illegal firearms manufacturing toward a future rooted in environmental stewardship and community-driven development.

Spearheaded by Vice Mayor-elect  Remedios “Ivy” Durano, in partnership with the Danao City Police Station, the event drew representatives from key agencies including the city government, City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), Department of Tourism, Public Employment Services Office, various barangay leaders—all united under a shared vision: to provide sustainable livelihoods and empower former gunsmiths as protectors of the land they once endangered.

“These hands that once built weapons now safeguard our forests,” said Police Col. Jovito M. Atanacio, acting Provincial Director of the Cebu Police Provincial Office, in a separate statement.

Atanacio said the Project Trident is a clear message that change is possible when people are given opportunity, support, and hope.

These individuals, he said, are no longer threats to society—they are guardians of peace, the environment, and the future, he said.

The reformed gunsmiths are now employed as job-order personnel under the City Government. They are deployed to upland areas to serve as frontliners in forest protection, environmental conservation, and eco-tourism development.

Vice Mayor-elect Durano emphasized the symbolic and practical impact of the program.

“Danao City will no longer be known for illegal firearms, but as a hub of peace and progress. This is only the beginning,” Durano said.

Following the program’s successful relaunch, over 100 additional former gunsmiths from barangays Santican, Lawaan, Dungga, Mantija, Pili, Danasan, Cahumayan, and Masaba have enrolled in the second phase of the initiative.

Project Trident is structured around a three-phase approach—skills training, psycho-social counseling, and job integration—designed to retool and reintegrate participants into society with dignity and purpose.

Meanwhile, in Barangay Dungga, a complementary Fresh Water Farm Livelihood Program is being implemented by the City Agricultural Services Office, further demonstrating the City’s commitment to providing peaceful alternatives to illegal trade.

“Every city carries silent stories of pain, struggle, and redemption. In Danao, we know these stories all too well. For decades, our city bore the weight of a shadowed past marked by illegal gun manufacturing. But we’ve also witnessed something far more powerful—the resilience and potential of our people. That belief became the very heart and soul behind Project Trident,” Durano added in a statement. — (FREEMAN)