MORE than 200 drug surrenderers from Olango Island have registered for the Lapu-Lapu City government’s cash-for-work program last Saturday.
Mayor Paza Radaza visited and spoke to around 400 surrenderers in the island and expressed her gratitude to their desire to change their lives, “Nanghinaut gyud mi uban sa kapulisan nga tinud-anay ang inyong pag-surrender, dili sama sa uban nga nibalik lang gihapon sa bisyo ug sa pagpamaligya ug shabu (We really hope with the police that you sincerely surrendered, not like others who returned to selling shabu),” said Radaza.
Considering the number of surrenderers who availed the cash-for-work program and the meager budget of the city, the surrenderers agreed to receive P75 for the 6-hour workday. Some were assigned to clean the coastal areas, others at the vegetable gardening and beautification project and materials recovery facility (MRF).
“Sayon ra man sab ang ilang trabaho unya gamay ra man ang gastohanan didto sa isla ikompara dinhi sa mainland (Their job is easy and they spend less in the island than in the mainland),” Radaza said.
Radaza, however, could not determine how long will it take for the city government to sustain the cash-for-work program. She said she would likely partner with non-government organizations that would want to offer jobs to the drug surrenderers to keep them working.
The mayor encouraged the surrenderers to help the government, help the police in their fight against criminality by reporting any untoward incidents, criminality and illegal activities in their area.
Radaza challenged the ten barangays in Olango Island to become drug free like Barangay Caohagan, which is part of Olango’s satellite islets.