THE Provincial Government of Zamboanga Sibugay is set to establish a halfway house to serve as temporarily shelter of former rebels as they prepare to return to the mainstream of the society.
This, as the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) turned over earlier this month P5 million to the Zamboanga Sibugay Provincial Government for the construction of halfway house for rebel returnees.
Engineer Romel Duran, Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program (E-Clip) provincial focal person, said the halfway house will be constructed in a 1,500 square meters lot inside the 5.7 hectares property of the provincial government in Tenan village, Ipil, the capital town of Zamboanga Sibugay.
Duran said the halfway house will receive and process the rebel returnees as the government provides them with necessary assistance and skills to make their transition to life as peaceful civilians stress-free.
The P5 million fund was sourced out from the E-Clip of the DILG.
Under the E-Clip, financial assistance, compensation and reward are provided to the rebel returnees in exchange for the firearms they turned in.
Each rebel returnee is entitled to received P15,000 immediate assistance, P21,000 reintegration assistance, P50,000 livelihood assistance, low-cost housing, and other benefits.
Governor Wilter Yap Palma said that the lasting peace does not end with the rebels returning to the folds of the law but with the government providing greatly necessary services to the people. (Bong Garcia/SunStar Philippines)