Davao Oriental – 25 former rebels received cash amounting to P20,000 each through the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s Sustainable Livelihood Program (SLP).
The former rebels received the assistance in a simple turn-over ceremony at the Provincial Capitol Conference Room.
This assistance aims to help the former rebels become more productive and prepare them for reintegration into mainstream society.
Apart from the cash, the former rebels have also received a more holistic package of benefits such as education, housing, medical assistance, legal assistance, firearms remuneration, psychosocial assistance, market livelihood, and employment opportunities at the provincial government-run halfway home for former rebels called Happy Home through the government’s Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program (E-CLIP).
These efforts aim to let the former rebels feel that the government is an ally and not a threat.
Vice Governor Niño Sotero L. Uy, who represented Governor Nelson Dayanghirang during the distribution, urged the recipients to encourage their former comrades to return to the folds of the government with a promise of continuous efforts for sustained programs to give the former rebels more opportunities.
(Provincial Information Office | OIC Michael Manguhig, RPN DXKT Davao)