The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG)-7, in partnership with the Provincial Government of Negros Oriental, Department of National Defense (DND), Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), and Philippine National Police (PNP) facilitated the awarding of a total of PhP860,000 worth of the Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program (ECLIP) financial assistance to beneficiaries on April 03, 2023, at 302nd Brigade Covered Court, Camp Leon Kilat, Tanjay City, Negros Oriental.
The ceremony was graced by Undersecretary Angelito M. De Leon, Chairperson, Task Force Balik Loob, Regional Director Leocadio Trovela, DILG-7, and Lieutenant General Benedict M. Arevalo, Commander of Visayas Command. Present also were DILG Provincial Director Farah Diba Gentuya, Vice Governor Manuel L. Sagarbarria, Provincial Board Members, Hon. Jessica Villanueva and Hon. Carlo Degamo, Atty. Karen Lisette T. Molas, Provincial Administrator, Atty. Mary Grace Villegas, Provincial Legal Officer, Brigadier General Leonardo I. Peña, Commander, 302nd Infantry Brigade, representatives from Provincial Peace and Order Council (PPOC), ECLIP Committee, and other agencies.
The checks awarded to 10 Former Rebels covered by the ECLIP assistance package are Immediate Assistance, Livelihood Assistance, and Reintegration Assistance. Further, the Provincial Government of Negros distributed an additional aid of 50 kilos of rice, PhP5,000, and a pair of chickens as part of the sustainable community-based livelihood program in support of the efforts of ECLIP. Consequently, another eight FRs and one Militia ng Bayan who were previous recipients received supplemental assistance as part of their reintegration into mainstream society.
Furthermore, a blessing and turnover ceremony of the ECLIP Halfway House was inaugurated to serve as a temporary shelter for the FRs while the concerned Units process documentary requirements to avail the benefits of the program.
Meanwhile, in his message, Director Trovela emphasized that the said halfway house will not only provide FRs with a transitional shelter but it will serve as a venue for education and skills training activities that the government would offer to transform them to become productive members of society.
The ECLIP is the government’s flagship program for the reintegration of FRs into mainstream society by means of financial assistance, but also to shelter them through the construction of halfway houses.
