Zamboanga Sibugay evacuees expected to start going home

As government troops moved deeper in Zamboanga Sibugay province in pursuit of so-called lawless elements, some of the more than 20,000 evacuees could start to go back home beginning this week, Social Welfare Secretary Corazon “Dinky” Soliman said Tuesday.

By Sunday, the number of evacuees in Payao, Alicia, Talusan, Mabuhay and Olutanga towns had risen to 4,533 families or 21,090 individuals as more people fled their homes after rogue elements entered their villages, Soliman said.

“Based on the assessment of the military and the governor, many of them can start going back to their places in certain areas this week because the military’s hot pursuit operation against the lawless elements has moved farther away,” she said in a phone interview.

“Even if the military or police say it’s safe to go back, they will have to check the situation. The lawless elements are harassing soft targets to distract the Army. The process will take about two weeks before they can settle down,” she said.

Evacuees still in Al-Barka

In Al-Barka, Basilan, 1,891 families or 9,481 individuals remained in evacuation centers or in the homes of relatives following the October 18 ambush that killed 19 soldiers.

“There is a hot pursuit operation, and the people are not being asked to go back as of now,” she said.

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has allotted P7 million and P2 million for its cash-for-work programs for the evacuees in Zamboanga Sibugay and Basilan, respectively, to help them recover, Soliman said.

Evacuees who will repair homes, school buildings, barangay centers or any government facility that had either been destroyed or damaged during the clashes would get paid.

“They’ll start the work this week,” said Soliman, who visited Sibugay on Friday together with Interior Secretary Jesse Robredo and Secretary Teresita Deles, presidential adviser on the peace process.

The DSWD will also release the cash grants to evacuees who are beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program before they go back home.

“Social workers managing the evacuation centers continue to provide the evacuees counseling sessions and play therapy to children to reduce the trauma that they are undergoing,” Soliman said.