DEVELOPING THE COUNTRYSIDE. Northern Samar Governor Edwin Marino Ongchuan on Monday (Nov. 23, 2020) said passage of the 2021 budget for the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) would spur development in the countryside where access to government services is limited. He added ELCAC offers a holistic approach that would resolve conflicts deeply rooted in poverty. (Photo courtesy of Governor Edwin Marino Ongchuan)
TACLOBAN CITY – The passage of the 2021 budget for the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) would spur development in the countryside where access to government services is limited.
In a statement on Monday, this was raised by Northern Samar Governor Edwin Marino Ongchuan who expressed support for the proposed PHP16.4 billion allocation for NTF-ELCAC next year.
The proposed budget will finance social development packages, livelihood, and infrastructure projects enumerated under the Barangay Development Programs (BDPs) of villages that have been considered "cleared" of the communist terrorist group's influence.
"Building peace in the countryside is likewise an essential investment for resiliency and sustainability. The peace-building initiative of the NTF-ELCAC is necessary to spur development in the countryside where many impoverished villages are oftentimes deprived of the experience of government care," Ongchuan said.
The official emphasized that ELCAC offers a holistic approach that would resolve conflicts deeply rooted in poverty and boosts the delivery of social services in remote areas.
"While local government units try their best to deliver social services in remote areas, we are however confronted with limited resources, and this inevitably impacts on the quality of life of our fellows in the peripheries. Our vulnerability to hazards and disasters even more magnifies the challenge and makes the task much more daunting," he added.
The formation of the task force operationalizes Executive Order 70 issued by President Rodrigo Duterte on Dec. 4, 2018. The directive also institutionalizes a “whole-of-nation approach” in attaining an inclusive and sustainable peace.
At the village level, the task force is composed of members of the barangay peace and order council and community-based organizations.
"With the continued implementation of the program, we can be assured of a steady step towards long-lasting peace and inclusive development," Ongchuan said.
The NPA has been waging a five-decade armed struggle against the government and is listed as a terrorist organization by the United States, the European Union, the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the Philippines. (PNA)
