Thursday, September 8, 2016

30 rebel returnees benefit from provincial livelihood program

From the Philippine Information Agency (Sep 8): 30 rebel returnees benefit from provincial livelihood program

Thirty former rebels in the province continue to benefit from the Provincial Livelihood Program for Rebel Returnees of the provincial government.

Based on the data of the Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office (PSWDO) here, this Provincial Livelihood Program for Rebel Returnees started in 2011 with the late governor Leonard Mayaen to partly address the concerns of former communist rebels who returned to the folds of the law.

This is implemented through a memorandum of agreement signed by the provincial and barangay governments and the rebel returnees. The MOA is renewable every year. Non compliance to the terms of the MOA means termination from the program.

Under this program, each RR beneficiary receives a monthly allowance of P5, 000 in exchange for community service in the barangay and he has to work from Monday to Friday except holidays.

Barangay chairpersons are tasked to supervise and sign the daily time records of the returnees in their respective barangays.

Not all rebel returnees are qualified for the program. The rebel returnees with pending cases in courts involving crimes against chastity, rape, torture, kidnapping for ransom, use and trafficking of illegal drugs and other crimes for personal ends and violations of international law, are not qualified.

The program does not also include RRs who refuse to send their children to school who are of school age; those who fail to live within the norms of the community; and those who continue their relation/contact with the underground movement such as the New People’s Army or the Cordillera People Democratic Front.

Originally, there were 42 rebel returnee beneficiaries of the program. Others were removed due to non-compliance to the terms of the MOA they have signed.

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