First Batch of Drug Surrenderees completed Healing in Oneness and Policing through Education (HOPE) Program of ZCPO

By Jong Cadion

ZAMBOANGA CITY (July 21, 2017) - As ZCPO envisioned the reintegration of transformed drug surrenderees to the workforce towards a self-reliant and productive citizens for a peaceful and more progressive Zamboanga City, the ZCPO conceptualized the community-based Healing in Oneness Policing Through Education (HOPE) Program in the last quarter of 2016, with the mission to assist holistically the healing, education and employment of drug surrenderees through skills training and referral to concerned agencies and collaboration of different stakeholders to support and uphold objectives of the program, this is in line of the PNP’s Project on Double Barrel on barangay drug clearing operations, official said.

ZCPO information officer PSUPT DIOMARIE S ALBARICO said that the program was able to bring interventions to the first batch of twenty four (24) surrenderees, first on medical, which was the facilitation of Mind  Modules by the ZCMC-Psychiatry Department and Philippine Guidance Counselor Association, Zamboanga Chapter. Second,  on Spiritual and Moral Formation, the services were delivered by the Bless Our Cops Movement; Al-Husna Foundation; Baptist Church, Evangelical Church and ZCPO Advisory Council, also  in  partnership with  DXAS-FEBC that provided radio transistor am/fm to the  families of surrenderees  to   continue on-air  spiritual services  and counseling. lastly, the Socio-economic intervention, the beneficiaries had successfully completed SKILLS TRAINING  (Tile Setting) conducted by TESDA and to support their livelihood and employment the DOLE through Congressman Celso L. Lobregat gave each beneficiary a starter kit for tile setting amounting to P4,700.00.

On a continued support of the Cong. Lobregat he employed the beneficiaries for fifteen days through TUPAD Program (Tulong panghanapbuhay sa ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers Program) of DOLE, on July 13, 2017, beneficiaries after service delivered with the ZCPO received a check amounting P4, 400 each. The beneficiaries of the program are enjoying a much better life after some got employed through Councilor Lilibeth Nuño as construction workers and some are freelance tile setters.

PSUPT ALBARICO further said that the HOPE Program is an ongoing project of ZCPO and considered one of the best practices implemented to all 98 barangays in Zamboanga City and it will soon be realigned with the Wellness and Recovery Program of the PNP working together with Drug User Treatment Program of ZCMC and CAMBIO VIDA of the Zamboanga City health Office for the community based rehabilitation of the drug surenderrees.

PSUPT DIOMARIE S ALBARICO, Officer-in-Charge, Zamboanga City Police Office, expressed his grateful appreciation to the different stakeholders and other government agencies concern for the support extended to the HOPE Program and for their utmost effort in fulfilling the program for the 1st Batch of ZCPO Drug Surrenderees.