(The PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENT OF NORTHERN SAMAR)
TACLOBAN CITY — The Northern Samar provincial government is seeking continued assistance from the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity (OPAPRU) to expand reintegration programs for former rebels and strengthen peacebuilding efforts as the province works to sustain its gains toward lasting peace.
Governor Harris Ongchuan made the appeal during a meeting with OPAPRU Peace Process Office Director Noly Mapili, who recently visited the province to discuss measures aimed at strengthening existing peace initiatives and improving support for former rebels and conflict-affected communities.
Mapili was accompanied by OPAPRU Eastern Visayas Program Manager Imelda Bonifacio.
During the meeting, Ongchuan underscored the importance of closer collaboration among local government units, national government agencies, and peace partners to improve referral systems that would give former rebels better access to education, employment, livelihood assistance, rehabilitation services, and other government support.
The governor also appealed for sustained national government assistance for housing projects intended for peacebuilders and their families to help them rebuild their lives and complete their reintegration into mainstream society.
OPAPRU has previously committed funding for housing units at Kauswagan Village, the province’s resettlement site for former rebels. The provincial government, in partnership with the Provincial Task Force Balik Loob and the Provincial Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (PTF-ELCAC), has already completed a model housing unit in the area.
For his part, Mapili welcomed the province’s proposal to expand its reintegration initiatives, including the establishment of another Darangpan Center in Northern Samar’s Second District to accommodate the growing number of former rebels returning to government fold.
Northern Samar has posted significant accomplishments through its Local Social Integration Program and the Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program (E-CLIP), which are being implemented with support from the Department of the Interior and Local Government and the provincial government through the Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office-managed Darangpan Center.
According to the provincial government, the programs have enabled many former rebels to reunite with their families, complete their education, obtain stable jobs, and establish sustainable livelihoods.
The provincial government said it remains committed to strengthening partnerships and expanding programs that will support reintegration efforts and promote lasting peace, reconciliation, and inclusive development across Northern Samar.
(ROEL T. AMAZONA)
