From the Philippine Information Agency (Feb 16, 2021): Iligan opens halfway house for former rebels (By Claire R. Gigje)
ILIGAN CITY, Feb 15 (PIA) - The Iligan City Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (ELCAC) inaugurated a halfway house for former rebels Monday, February 15.Constructed by the 554th Engineer Battalion, the halfway house, tagged as Happy Home, is located at the former National Steel Corporation (NSC) Compound, Brgy. Suarez, this city.
City Councilor Ian Uy, chairperson of the Sangguniang Panlungsod Committee on Peace and Order and Safety, said this will serve as a temporary shelter to former rebels while their benefits under the Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program (E-CLIP) are being processed.
“Ang halfway house or Happy Home temporaryo nilang pagapuy-an samtang giproseso pa ilang mga papeles. Diri pud pagahimuon ang pagtreat sa radicalization nila ug pagatudluan sa ilang livelihoods aron pagbalik nila sa tagsa-tagsa nila nga komunidad, mahimo silang produktibo,” said Uy.
[The halfway house or happy home will be their temporary shelter while their papers are processed. It will be here where their radicalization will be treated and they will be taught with their livelihoods so that when they return to their own community, they will be productive.
Col. Irineo Sebastian, commander of the 55th Engineer Brigade of the Philippine Army, turns over the symbolic key of the Happy Home halfway house for former rebels to Iligan City Mayor Celso Regencia. Assisting Sebastian is LtCol Hassan Badar, commanding officer of the 554th Engineer Battalion, the army unit responsible for the construction of the halfway house. (Angelo Dologmandin/ PIA-ICIC)
Iligan City Mayor Celso Regencia bared that following this transitory house, a DILG-funded shelter will be constructed in Brgy. Bonbonon at the end of the year or 1st quarter next year to stably house the former rebels.
“Ang atong area ani nga sa kinabag-an na mao ang area sa Brgy. Bonbonon diin ang magfunding sa building mao ang DILG. Hopefully, by the end of this year or the 1st quarter of next year, maimplementar na pud ni para mapadak-an nato ang kaning area aron atoang ma-house ang atong mga FR o former rebels nga ania karon diri sa syudad sa Iligan,” he said.
[Our area really is in Brgy. Bonbonon wherein the funding for the building will be shouldered by the DILG. Hopefully, by the end of this year or the 1st quarter next year, this will be implemented already to widen the area to house the FRs or former rebels who are here in the city of Iligan.]
Regencia also cited that the realization of the halfway houses and assistance to former rebels was through the unified efforts of different government agencies such as the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), and Philippine National Police (PNP).
Apart from the halfway house, former rebels also received financial assistance from the DILG and DSWD.
TESDA also provided them with skills training on driving and wielding.
Meanwhile, former rebels expressed gratitude for welcoming them back as they return to the hands of the government.
“Dako nakong pasalamat kay tarong kaayo akong paglakaw karon kay naa ko sa sabakan sa balaod sa gobyerno. Nadawat namo ang ilang giingon nila nga tabang sa amoa,” alias Rolly, once a rebel for four (4) years, stated.
[I am very grateful that I am walking correctly right now because I am already in the hands of the government. We received what they said was their help for us.]
They also encouraged their comrades who are still in the mountains to return to the fold of the law and that it is never too late to turn once again to the government.
“Ang akong ipabati, walay hadlok-hadlok, kita mag-anam anam na og baba sa sabakan sa gobyerno kung kita adunay panlantaw sa atong mga kaigsuonan, kabatan-onan ug ginikanan… Akong ginahangyo sa mga kaubanan nako nga kung naa pay mga nagpahipi karon nga magduol-duol sa atoa, ato silang ingnon nga muanha sa sabakan sa gobyerno kay anaa dinhi ang insakto nga kalambuan,” alias Toto called on.
[I want to express, with no cowardice, let us slowly go down to the care of the government if we thinking for our sisters and brothers, youth and parents… I am requesting my comrades that if some are silently reaching out to us, let us tell them to go to the care of the government because the right development is there.] (CRG/ PIA-ICIC)
Iligan City Mayor Celso Regencia bared that following this transitory house, a DILG-funded shelter will be constructed in Brgy. Bonbonon at the end of the year or 1st quarter next year to stably house the former rebels.
“Ang atong area ani nga sa kinabag-an na mao ang area sa Brgy. Bonbonon diin ang magfunding sa building mao ang DILG. Hopefully, by the end of this year or the 1st quarter of next year, maimplementar na pud ni para mapadak-an nato ang kaning area aron atoang ma-house ang atong mga FR o former rebels nga ania karon diri sa syudad sa Iligan,” he said.
[Our area really is in Brgy. Bonbonon wherein the funding for the building will be shouldered by the DILG. Hopefully, by the end of this year or the 1st quarter next year, this will be implemented already to widen the area to house the FRs or former rebels who are here in the city of Iligan.]
Regencia also cited that the realization of the halfway houses and assistance to former rebels was through the unified efforts of different government agencies such as the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), and Philippine National Police (PNP).
Apart from the halfway house, former rebels also received financial assistance from the DILG and DSWD.
TESDA also provided them with skills training on driving and wielding.
Meanwhile, former rebels expressed gratitude for welcoming them back as they return to the hands of the government.
“Dako nakong pasalamat kay tarong kaayo akong paglakaw karon kay naa ko sa sabakan sa balaod sa gobyerno. Nadawat namo ang ilang giingon nila nga tabang sa amoa,” alias Rolly, once a rebel for four (4) years, stated.
[I am very grateful that I am walking correctly right now because I am already in the hands of the government. We received what they said was their help for us.]
They also encouraged their comrades who are still in the mountains to return to the fold of the law and that it is never too late to turn once again to the government.
“Ang akong ipabati, walay hadlok-hadlok, kita mag-anam anam na og baba sa sabakan sa gobyerno kung kita adunay panlantaw sa atong mga kaigsuonan, kabatan-onan ug ginikanan… Akong ginahangyo sa mga kaubanan nako nga kung naa pay mga nagpahipi karon nga magduol-duol sa atoa, ato silang ingnon nga muanha sa sabakan sa gobyerno kay anaa dinhi ang insakto nga kalambuan,” alias Toto called on.
[I want to express, with no cowardice, let us slowly go down to the care of the government if we thinking for our sisters and brothers, youth and parents… I am requesting my comrades that if some are silently reaching out to us, let us tell them to go to the care of the government because the right development is there.] (CRG/ PIA-ICIC)
https://pia.gov.ph/news/articles/1066911
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