SULTAN SA BARONGIS
(SSB), Maguindanao ---The municipal government of this town conducted last
September 10 its Municipal Conference on Livelihood Program for D’ Reformists
held at the municipal gymnasium under the theme “Creating Opportunities,
Transforming Lives.”
Municipal Mayor Ramdatu M. Angas said
the program is offered for drug reformists or those who surrendered their vices
and would want to reform and avail of economic assistance.
There are more than a hundred drug
reformists, all residents of Sultan Sa Barongis , who have undergone
rehabilitation program, the so-called matrix intensive out-patient process.
One
of the program process is monitoring the reformists’ activities and movements
to determine if they have changed and gave up the vices until they are declared
drug-free.
They have to engage with productive
activities to counter illegal drug urgings, the mayor stressed.
But first would be skills development
for the beneficiaries so they would become productive and finally forego with
illegal drug activities.
Skills training are related to fishery
and agriculture productivity, automotive mechanics,and ‘kabuhayan’ showcase,
among others.
Municipal Planning Officer “Dave” Utto
quoted a phrase in Qur’an: “Verily never
will Allah change the condition of a people until they change it themselves,”
as he stressed that the drug reformists should be committed
and firm in their quest for positive
change in their lives “with the role of government to offer its services and
resources for transformation process.”
Maguindanao Governor Esmael Mangudadatu,
represented by Provincial Administrator Engr. AbdulrakmanAsim, said the
provincial government’s departments are ready to extend their assistance and
resources to make the program viable and sustainable.
Among the support agencies for the
livelihood program are the Department of Trade and Industry, Department of
Agriculture, Department of Social Services and Development, Technical Education
and Skills Development Authority, Department of Health.
Officers and representatives of these
support agencies were present during the municipal conference to ventilate on
their role-functions in the program following the rehabilitation stage of the
drug surrenderees. Other attendees were municipal department heads and military
and police officials.
The
support agencies expressed their support and commitment to the program and assured
their assistance in providing the beneficiaries with livelihood projects based
on the their developed or acquired skills.(Anne Acosta)
No comments:
Post a Comment