THE HAPPY HOME in Davao Oriental serves as a halfway house for rebel returnees. — DAVAO ORIENTAL GOVT

THE DAVAO ORIENTAL provincial government has tapped the Tech4d Center, a computer-based educational mechanism under the Department of Information and Communication Technology (DICT), to provide rebel returnees with new skills. In a statement from the provincial government, Amelia S. Dean, DICT acting regional head for operations and coordination services, said the center provides delivery channels of “information and communication technology (ICT)-enabled services and government services to reach rural areas.” “We are nationwide. We also serve as training hub to educate the public on digital literacy and to raise awareness on the importance of ICT,” said Ms. Dean. The beneficiaries are former members of the communist New People’s Army who are staying at the provincial government’s Happy Home, a halfway house for those who have laid down their arms. Ms. Dean said the Tech4d Center offers program like English competency, financial literacy, farming technologies, and research. It also offers online job opportunities, links businesses with markets, and provides training for those who want to work online. — Carmelito Q. Francisco

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