HELPING REBELS. Inside the expanded residential facility for former rebels in Catarman, Northern Samar in this undated photo. The provincial government said in a media release on Tuesday (Oct. 15, 2024) that the expansion seeks to accommodate more surrenderers from the New People’s Army undergoing the local government’s reintegration program. (Photo courtesy of Northern Samar provincial government)
TACLOBAN CITY – Northern Samar’s provincial government has expanded its residential facility for New People’s Army (NPA) surrenderers undergoing the local government’s reintegration program.
The PHP12 million project, funded under the supplemental budget, includes additional facilities such as comfort rooms, lighting, a water tank, a generator set, and a ramp.
“These amenities are crucial for ensuring the comfort of the peacebuilders as they participate in the deradicalization program and enhance the services provided to former rebels inside the center,” the provincial government said in a statement Tuesday.
Since its opening in 2019, the facility has been helping about 200 former rebels rebuild their lives shattered by years of armed rebellion.
The “Balay Darangpan” halfway house is inside the provincial social welfare and development office compound in Catarman town.
The construction of an additional two-story building will house more former rebels and provide them a better shelter as they heal and recover after leaving the armed rebellion.
Before admission, the surrenderers attended an orientation on the center's rules and regulations and were introduced to the peace-related policies and programs of the provincial government and its partner agencies under the Provincial Task Force to End the Local Communist Armed Conflict (PTF-ELCAC) and Provincial Task Force Balik Loob, which adopts the whole-of-nation approach to peace and development.
Northern Samar is the most insurgency-affected province in Eastern Visayas, where remnants of two NPA guerilla fronts operate. (PNA)
