Col. Noel T. Baluyan, commander of the 302nd Infantry Brigade of the Philippine Army, based in Tanjay City, Negros Oriental. (Photo by Judy Flores Partlow)
DUMAGUETE CITY – The commander of the Philippine Army's 302nd Infantry Brigade based in Tanjay City, Negros Oriental on Friday said they are recommending the inclusion of additional barangays under the government’s program to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (ELCAC).
Col. Noel Baluyan, however, said that the final decision will be made after a seminar to be conducted by the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency (NICA) tentatively scheduled here next week.
Initially, 16 barangays in six towns and cities in the province were identified as priority areas following the creation of the Negros Oriental Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NOTF-ELCAC).
These are Barangays Bayog and Lumapao in Canlaon City; Trinidad, Binobohan, Sandayao, Tacpao, Imelda, Hinakpan, Humay-humay, and Planas in Guihulngan City; Dobdob in Valencia; San Pedro and Talalak in Sta. Catalina; Tayak in Siaton; and Calango and Mayabon in Zamboanguita.
The Task Force, chaired by Governor Roel Degamo, in coordination with the Department of the Interior and Local Government in Region 7 and the Office of the Presidential Adviser for the Visayas, held a series of "Dagyawan: Talakayan sa Mamamayan" dialogues and government services caravans last year in the six local government units (LGUs) where these barangays are located to identify priority projects and various issues and concerns in these areas.
Baluyan said they are now waiting for the implementation of the consolidated list of programs and projects for these areas that were already forwarded to the national agencies.
In the meantime, he said the Army would be recommending additional barangays, such as Talalak in Sta. Catalina, for inclusion in the next round of NOTF-ELCAC activities.
Baluyan said he could not give an exact number as this would be decided on later, with inputs coming from the different Army commanders in the province, the Philippine National Police as well as the LGUs concerned.
He believes there are still many barangays that need to be covered by the ELCAC program because of the presence of the New People’s Army (NPA) and/or their supporters.
Some villages where encounters have taken place between government troops and suspected NPA members, such as those in Ayungon and Manjuyod, were also not included in the first batch, he said.
The creation of the Task Force (TF) ELCAC is in line with President Rodrigo Duterte’s Executive Order No. 70 promoting a Whole of Nation Approach to attain inclusive and sustainable peace in ending the communist armed conflict.
Negros Oriental is the only province in Central Visayas that is still facing the insurgency problem and was the first to create its TF ELCAC patterned after its national counterpart. (PNA)
