Davao Oriental's Happy Home, interventions for rebel returnees benchmarked

From the Philippine Information Agency (Sep 2): Davao Oriental's Happy Home, interventions for rebel returnees benchmarked

Members of the Comprehensive Local Integration Program (CLIP) committees from all over the country, together with their respective Department of Interior and Local Governmentregional directors, have recently visited here to benchmark Davao Oriental’s successful CLIP implementation, mainly on the establishment and operation of the Happy Home – a halfway house for rebel returnees, which has been gaining the attention of different LGUs and agencies for its best practices.

The delegations from Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao, arrived in batches within a series of three-day benchmarking period last August 25-27, learned how the Provincial Government manages to push for the establishment of the Happy Home which helps former rebels transition to civilian life.

A brainchild of the Governor Corazon N. Malanyaon, the Happy Home was inaugurated in April 2013 when the Philippine Army officiallydeclared Davao Oriental as development-ready. The facility was established as part of the Provincial Government’s thrust to firmly install the pillars of shared peace and prosperity in the province.

The facility’s major goal is to provide a transition home that offers enabling services for total healing, rehabilitation and preparation of former rebels for complete integration into mainstream society and to motivate them to become productive and law abiding citizens.

To ensure effectiveness of the facility, the strategy basically involves the implementation of various initiatives and activities that covers the areas of values formation, community integration, capacity building, skills development, and empowerment through education, among many others. These goals and strategies are being met through the provision of various services such as counseling; psychological and psychiatric services; spiritual enrichment services; educational, health and employment services. Aside from that, livelihood assistance and conduct of sports development and therapy sessions and workshops to the residents are also provided. In addition, the facility also offers a site intended for the development of livelihood projects and related skills.

Happy Home Manager Evelyn Vallar said that in order to accomplish such holistic rehabilitation aimed for their clients, a convergence and collaboration of agency programs and services were pooled together. For instance, crop production, livestock raising, fish culture was facilitated by the Provincial Agriculture Office and the Department of Agriculture, skills development of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA);techno-transfer and value adding of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), entrepreneurship of the Department of Trade and Industry; Alternative Learning System (ALS) of the Department of Education, and other related services of the Department of Agrarian Reform, and theDepartment of Labor and Employment, among other agencies of the government.

On top of these trainings that would prepare them in their subsequent integration to the mainstream society, other benefits are also given, particularly cash assistance under the CLIP of the DILG. This financial assistance intends to help them start anew and mainstream in the community.

The Happy Home, being the first and only of its kind in the whole country, was conceptualized by the governor. It was funded by the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process through the DILG –Payapa at MasaganangPamayanan Program (DILG-PAMANA) and is now being managed by the Provincial Government.

As Davao Oriental now basks on its relative peace, Gov. Malanyaon attributes this achievementto the strong partnership between the Provincial Government and all stakeholders involved in peace and development. She highlighted the role of the Philippine Army’s Peace and Development Outreach Program in winning the hearts and minds of the people by helping provide basic services to thecommunities.

701st Brigade Commander Col. BienvenidoDatuin, Jr., said the military here is ‘indeed fortunate for being under a leadership that is very supportive and with a vision’. He further vowed for the continued military efforts to sustain the gains so far achieved in terms of peace and development.

http://news.pia.gov.ph/article/view/1591441156891/davao-oriental-s-happy-home-interventions-for-rebel-returnees-benchmarked