A 66-year-old woman who spent more than five decades living away from her hometown — and who eventually became homeless on the streets of Zamboanga City — has finally returned to Barangay Inacban, Ayungon, Negros Oriental, following a coordinated reintegration effort by multiple government agencies under the Department of Social Welfare and Development's Pag-Abot Program.
Ms. Shirley Labao, identified as an individual in street situation (ISS), arrived safely in Negros Oriental on Wednesday, May 20, 2026, reuniting with relatives and family members she had not seen in over half a century.
From Ayungon Teenager to Zamboanga City Street Dweller
Ms. Labao originally left Barangay Inacban as a young teenager, traveling to Jolo, Sulu, where she worked as a housemaid. She eventually relocated to Zamboanga City, where she found employment as a laundress and built what life she could in an unfamiliar city far from her roots in Negros Oriental.
Over the years, however, Ms. Labao experienced a series of devastating personal losses. She lost her children and her partner, leaving her without a family support network in Zamboanga. Her situation worsened significantly when her small shelter in Barangay Tetuan, Zamboanga City, was destroyed, leaving her without a home and exposed to life on the streets.
The hardships she endured over decades in Zamboanga City ultimately led to her identification as an individual in street situation — a classification used by the DSWD to describe persons living without adequate housing or shelter and in need of government intervention and social protection services.
Zamboanga CSWDO Refers Case to Pag-Abot Program
Ms. Labao's situation was reported to the City Social Welfare and Development Office (CSWDO) of Zamboanga City, which subsequently referred her case to the DSWD's Pag-Abot Program for appropriate assistance and intervention.
The Pag-Abot Program is a national government initiative under the DSWD designed to assist individuals in street situations, including the homeless and displaced, by providing social services and facilitating their reintegration into their home communities whenever possible and appropriate.
During the formal assessment process conducted under the program, Ms. Labao expressed a clear and strong desire to return to her hometown of Ayungon — a wish that had apparently remained with her throughout her more than five decades of absence from Negros Oriental.
Multi-Agency Coordination Facilitates Safe Return
The reintegration of Ms. Labao required the coordinated efforts of several government offices across two regions. Key agencies involved included the DSWD Negros Island Region (DSWD-NIR), the DSWD Field Office Region 9 based in Zamboanga, the CSWDO of Zamboanga City, the Local Government Unit (LGU) of Ayungon, and the Municipal Social Welfare and Development Office (MSWDO) of Ayungon, headed by Marybeth Batomalaque.
Prior to completing the reintegration, DSWD-NIR conducted a home visit and formal assessment in Barangay Inacban to verify that Ms. Labao would have adequate family support upon her return. This step is a standard part of the Pag-Abot Program's reintegration protocol, intended to ensure that returning individuals are not placed in vulnerable situations upon arrival in their home communities.
The assessment confirmed that relatives remained in Barangay Inacban, and that conditions were suitable for Ms. Labao's safe and sustainable return.
Warm Reception at Port of Dumaguete
Upon arriving in Negros Oriental, Ms. Labao was welcomed at the Port of Dumaguete by personnel from DSWD-NIR and representatives from the Ayungon MSWDO. The welcoming party marked the formal completion of the inter-regional transfer phase of the reintegration process.
From Dumaguete, Ms. Labao was accompanied to Ayungon, where she was received during a courtesy call with Ayungon Mayor Dennis Amancio. Also present during the courtesy call were representatives from DSWD-NIR, DSWD Region 9, CSWDO Zamboanga City, and the Ayungon MSWDO.
Ms. Labao subsequently traveled to Barangay Inacban, where she was reunited with relatives and family members — a reunion that marked the first time in 54 years that she had seen them in person.
Mayor Amancio Thanks DSWD and Social Welfare Offices
Ayungon Mayor Dennis Amancio expressed his gratitude publicly following the successful reintegration. In statements reported in connection with the event, he thanked DSWD Region 9, DSWD Negros Island Region, and the Ayungon MSWDO for their dedication and collaborative efforts in making the return possible.
The mayor's acknowledgment highlighted the role of inter-agency coordination in the success of the reintegration, which involved offices operating across different administrative regions of the Philippines — from the Zamboanga Peninsula in Region 9 to the Negros Island Region.
Further Assistance Being Prepared Under Pag-Abot Program
The reintegration of Ms. Labao into Barangay Inacban does not mark the end of her engagement with government social protection services. According to information released in connection with the reintegration, further assistance and interventions under the Pag-Abot Program are currently being prepared to help Ms. Labao recover and rebuild her life in Ayungon.
These planned interventions are expected to include access to social protection services and livelihood support programs available through the DSWD and the local government of Ayungon. The specific nature and timeline of these support programs were not detailed in available information as of May 25, 2026.
The Pag-Abot Program, under which Ms. Labao's reintegration was facilitated, operates as part of the DSWD's broader Comprehensive Program for Street Children, Street Youth, Street Families, and Indigenous Peoples. Its mandate includes the sustainable reintegration of ISS individuals into their communities of origin, where family ties and support networks can contribute to long-term recovery and stability.
A Story of Loss, Survival, and Eventual Return
Ms. Labao's story spans more than five decades of personal hardship, displacement, and survival far from her place of origin. Having left Ayungon as a teenager — likely in the early 1970s — she spent her adult life in the southern Philippines, working in domestic and laundry services before ultimately losing her shelter and livelihood in Zamboanga City.
Her return to Barangay Inacban at the age of 66 represents the culmination of a government-assisted process that began with a referral from a city-level social welfare office and ended with a reunion involving relatives, local officials, and multiple DSWD teams.
The case illustrates the reach and scope of the DSWD's street situation programs, which are designed to identify and assist vulnerable individuals regardless of how far they have traveled from their home communities — and to facilitate their return when they express the desire to go home.
As of the time of reporting on May 25, 2026, Ms. Labao is now settled in Barangay Inacban, Ayungon, with further social welfare support ongoing through the coordinated efforts of the DSWD and the Ayungon local government.
Photo credit: Photo courtesy of DSWD Negros Island Region