DAVAO ORIENTAL – For its effective program for former rebels, the Province of Davao Oriental was once again benchmarked for its successful implementation of the Expanded Comprehensive Local Integration Program or E-CLIP.
The team from the Provincial Government of Camarines Norte led by Ms. Amy Lopez, Planning Officer IV learns from Davao Oriental’s ‘exemplary’ implementation of ECLIP and the operation of the Happy Home as a transition shelter for former rebels.
“We are learning so much,” said Lopez on March 12, 2019 during the benchmarking activity held at Tourism Annex Building here. She said that their province has just held its groundbreaking of their own halfway house for former rebels in Camarines Norte just a week ago and they intend to emulate the best practices in Davao Oriental in their operations.
She cited the Ugnayan Center inside the headquarters of 701st Infantry Kagitingan Brigade of the Philippine Army in Sitio Magay, Barangay Don Martin Marundan as one of the very significant phases in the reintegration process because of its ten-day de-radicalization program administered by the Philippine Army.
Meanwhile, Governor Nelson L. Dayanghirang said that the most important lesson in the implementation is that all agencies are united, from national departments to provincial agencies in order to achieve the common goal for peaceful and progressive province.
“As I assume the office of the Governor, I had seen the root cause of an underdeveloped province, and that is the problem of insurgency and criminalities,” he said stressing that the requisite to become a highly developed community is its sustainable peace and harmonious relationships towards one another.
He also encouraged the visitors to begin with building blocks for sustainable peace and use it to boost other aspects of holistic development as he cited the numerous investors coming into Davao Oriental.
Mr. Ednar Gempesaw Dayanghirang, Chief of Staff of the Governor describes E-CLIP as a program that cannot stand alone without allowing other government services to come in.
Moreover, he also shared the Whole-of-The-Government approach in addressing the insurgency.
“We have to fight insurgency not by killing people but by governing them well,” he added.
The Camarines Norte guests are composed of Mrs. Amy Lopez, April Rose Guinto, Captain Moreno Vigilia, Private Jelly Mae Edquilang, Rita Guevarra, Arnel Ferrer, Police Chief Inspector Roberto Marinda, Engr. Mark Lester Ladea, and Nida Navaroo Tosoc. The team also toured the Happy Home site and 701st Headquarters in Sitio Magay. Photos by Eden Jhan Licayan
