Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Samar provincial director Judy Batulan. (Photo courtesy of DILG Samar)
TACLOBAN CITY – The Catbalogan city government in Samar is a recipient of 18 sub-projects funded under the Local Government Support Fund - Support to the Barangay Development Program (LGSF-SBDP) to sustain peace in communities previously influenced by the New People’s Army (NPA).
Department of the Interior and Local Government Samar provincial director Judy Batulan said in a phone interview Sunday that each project has a budget of PHP6.6 million and will be implemented in 11 villages.
Recipient villages are Palanyogon, Totoringon, Cagudalo, Cagutian, San Andres, Albalate, Cawayan, Bangon, Lobo, Manguehay, and Libas, all upland communities in Catbalogan, the capital of Samar province.
The projects include seven farm-to-market roads concreting, provision of renewable electrification, construction of health stations in the villages, and construction of school buildings.
Residents identified the projects during the Retooled Community Support Program, a convergence mechanism for local governments in the village that occurred earlier this year.
“The LGSF-SBDP is a program that aims to make positive changes in upland barangays. It focuses on three main goals: stopping conflict, food security, and enhancing basic services like healthcare and education,” Batulan said.
He added that by working closely with the community and using modern methods, the program will create lasting improvements in the upland areas, “making them stronger and more prosperous.”
The projects had their groundbreaking on Dec. 27 and are up for completion in 2024. The SBDP, a hallmark program of National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC), brings progress to former conflict-prone communities.
The NTF-ELCAC, created under Executive Order 70 issued on Dec. 4, 2018, is tasked to “provide an efficient mechanism and structure for the implementation of the whole-of-nation approach to aid in the realization of collective aspirations for inclusive and sustainable peace.” (PNA)
