ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines- Thousands of displaced persons from the recent standoff have already started fending for themselves following the work-for-food program introduced by city government and the United Nations (UN) World Food Programme (WFP).
At least 865 families of internally displaced persons (IDPs) received Monday their rice payout for planting mangroves in the coastal villages of Mampang and Arena Blanco, two of the partially affected villages during the Sept. 9 attack by the rebels of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) Misuari faction.
The beneficiaries were the latest batches of the work-for-food program when the UN WFP and local government started it a month ago. About 6,500 families of survivors were hired to work on a coastal clean-up in the war-ravaged villages of Mariki and Rio Hondo.
The payout, involving a sack of rice for each family, was extended by Mayor Ma. Isabelle Climaco-Salazar at the distribution site near the Sports complex that was converted temporarily as evacuation center.
Salazar joined last week 3,500 evacuee-families in the mangrove planting in Barangays Mampang and Arena Blanco as part of the work-for-food program.
The program will be launched again next month and this time the IDPs will be hired for river bank cleanup and other environment cleaning operations.
“The work-for-food program is a very important aspect of the recovery and reconstruction efforts as it gives IDPs the opportunity to work for food rather than staying at the evacuation centers and be dependent of the food packs from the government,†Salazar said in a statement.