DAVAO CITY–The local government has allocated PHP5.8 million for the construction of a halfway house for New People’s Army (NPA) rebels who have returned to the folds of the law.
In an interview on Tuesday, Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio said the halfway house will be called “Kalinaw Village”, where surrendered rebels will be housed while they are in the process of debriefing.
Mayor Sara said the fund has been included in the recently-approved P1.2 billion Supplemental Budget No. 1 of the city.
While the national government implements the Comprehensive Local Integration Program (CLIP) to provide financial assistance for former rebels, Duterte-Carpio said a complementary program was needed as not all surrenderers can qualify for the CLIP initiative.
“Gimanduan nako ang 1003rd Brigade nato mga mo buhat og complimentary program sa CLIP program nga under siya sa local government wherein ma-catch pa gihapon nato tong mga FR na dili mag- qualify (I asked our 1003rd Brigade to make complementary program on CLIP, which is under the local government wherein we can still take the FR who will not qualify),” she said.
The mayor said the money will be used for the livelihood and immediate assistance of Php65,000 to each of some 40 former rebels or a total of PHP2.6 million; PHP2.530 million for infrastructure; PHP550,00 for personnel salary, PHP89,000 for training and seminars; and PHP85,000 for professional services.
Duterte-Carpio said the facility will be established near the Army’s 1003rd Brigade Camp in Bunawan District.
Aside from the city’s funds, the mayor said there will be assistance from the DILG for the program’s infrastructure needs.
Brig. Gen. Ernesto Torres Jr., 1003 Brigade commander, said the construction of the facility has already started and that it will be managed by a representative from a Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).
Torres said Kalinaw Village will feature units for safety protection, psycho-social, capability building and employment, home line services, monitoring and evaluation.
“If we determine that the FR (former rebel) can be enrolled in CLIP, he or she can proceed to the next level of processing but if they don’t, there has to be a program from the local government that will cater to them,” he said. (Armando Fenequito Jr/PNA)
