CALAPAN CITY, Oriental Mindoro (PIA) -- Gov. Humerlito A. Dolor, along wit members of the Provincial Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (PTF-ELCAC), inaugurated the newly-constructed Halfway House for rebel returnees in Brgy. Pag-asa, Bansud on June 11.

The construction of halfway houses is part of the Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program (E-CLIP) of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC).

It aims to provide temporary shelter to former rebels and their families while their enrollment to E-CLIP is being processed.

The halfway house also serves as a venue for livelihood training and psycho-socio debriefing of the former rebels prior to their reintegration into mainstream society.

The facility is placed adjacent to the station of the 203rd Infantry ‘Bantay Kapayapaan’ Brigade in the said town.

The inauguration of the building was witnessed by 17 former rebels, who will be the first batch to use the facility after participating in a three-day training.

Dolor said he will prioritize projects for Mangyans, particularly in addressing illiteracy and construction of roads that will connect far-flung areas to facilitate easy and speedy transport of goods to nearby towns.

Meanwhile, Brigadier General Jose Augusto Villareal, head of the 203rd Infantry Brigade, expressed appreciation to the governor for the construction of the hafway house and acknowledged these development as a big factor in encouraging rebels to return to mainstream society.  He encouraged the governor and the members of the PTF-ELCAC to establish a 'deradicalization program' that will bring back the trust of rebel returnees to the government. (LTC/PIA-OrMin)