PROJECT MONITORING. Department of National Defense Undersecretary Cesar Yano emphasizes a point during a press briefing on the sidelines of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) Cabinet Officers for Regional Development and Security (CORDS) Summit for the Visayas Island Group at the Golden Prince Hotel in Cebu City on Wednesday (Oct. 16, 2019). Yano enjoined local and regional government officials to get the involvement of the security forces in securing and monitoring projects. (PNA photo by John Rey Saavedra)
A ranking Department of National Defense (DND) official on Wednesday enjoined local chief executives and regional government officials to tap the military and police in securing and monitoring ongoing infrastructure projects.
Undersecretary Cesar Yano, DND officer in charge for defense operations, said prior to the interventions made by the department, projects implemented by the government agencies and local government units without the knowledge of the security forces ended up being harassed by the enemies of the state.
“On the part of the DND, this is what we have done, because in the past, our government carried out projects even though they know that there were threats from the enemies. Nevertheless, other agencies conducted projects without informing the security sector about it. So, we made an intervention on this. We had a discussion with NEDA (National Economic and Development Authority) as NEDA monitors all projects at the regional level,” Yano said in Filipino.
Yano participated in the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict’s (NTF-ELCAC) Cabinet Officers for Regional Development and Security (CORDS) Summit for the Visayas island group in Cebu City on Wednesday, representing Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana.
Yano said both the regional monitoring committee headed by NEDA and the local project monitoring committee in the provincial, city or municipal level that are tasked by law to monitor completion of all big projects and local project, respectively, can tap soldiers and police officers in securing and ensuring that those projects are finished.
“Let’s talk about the bigger (projects). NEDA said they could not monitor all the projects because of lack of manpower… so we suggested to NEDA to allow us the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police to include us in the monitoring so that the soldiers and the police would know which government projects need security,” he added.
Yano pointed out there are existing military units assigned in areas that NEDA could not penetrate for project monitoring, Military officials in remote areas could also seek the help of village officials in monitoring ongoing projects.
Yano cited the case of the Kaliwa Dam project in Infanta, Quezon that was threatened with attacks by the New People’s Army (NPA) because of lack of coordination between the project implementor and government troops.
In cascading the national plan of the NTF-ELCAC down to the regional task forces, Yano expressed optimism that both issues on securing and ensuring completion of infrastructure projects can properly be addressed.
“As discussed in the regional task forces, we made it a point that we are together on this. In implementing a project, it’s not about how much fund was lost or where the taxpayer’s money goes, but the interest of the security sector is we make sure that government project is funded and implemented. It should be completed para makinabangan ng taong bayan (so that it can be of use by the people),” Yano said.
The projects, he said, are funded in order to make an impact on the people’s lives.
“This is the mandate of the NTF-ELCAC and down to regional task forces up to the provincial task forces. So we would like to appeal to all LCEs (local chief executives), along this line, that if they have projects, no matter how small it is, please try to involve our security forces, so that we can assist in securing them,” he added.
The parameters, he said, could be discussed through the Regional Peace and Order Council and the Regional Development Council, as well as in the local peace and development councils.
https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1083406
Undersecretary Cesar Yano, DND officer in charge for defense operations, said prior to the interventions made by the department, projects implemented by the government agencies and local government units without the knowledge of the security forces ended up being harassed by the enemies of the state.
“On the part of the DND, this is what we have done, because in the past, our government carried out projects even though they know that there were threats from the enemies. Nevertheless, other agencies conducted projects without informing the security sector about it. So, we made an intervention on this. We had a discussion with NEDA (National Economic and Development Authority) as NEDA monitors all projects at the regional level,” Yano said in Filipino.
Yano participated in the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict’s (NTF-ELCAC) Cabinet Officers for Regional Development and Security (CORDS) Summit for the Visayas island group in Cebu City on Wednesday, representing Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana.
Yano said both the regional monitoring committee headed by NEDA and the local project monitoring committee in the provincial, city or municipal level that are tasked by law to monitor completion of all big projects and local project, respectively, can tap soldiers and police officers in securing and ensuring that those projects are finished.
“Let’s talk about the bigger (projects). NEDA said they could not monitor all the projects because of lack of manpower… so we suggested to NEDA to allow us the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police to include us in the monitoring so that the soldiers and the police would know which government projects need security,” he added.
Yano pointed out there are existing military units assigned in areas that NEDA could not penetrate for project monitoring, Military officials in remote areas could also seek the help of village officials in monitoring ongoing projects.
Yano cited the case of the Kaliwa Dam project in Infanta, Quezon that was threatened with attacks by the New People’s Army (NPA) because of lack of coordination between the project implementor and government troops.
In cascading the national plan of the NTF-ELCAC down to the regional task forces, Yano expressed optimism that both issues on securing and ensuring completion of infrastructure projects can properly be addressed.
“As discussed in the regional task forces, we made it a point that we are together on this. In implementing a project, it’s not about how much fund was lost or where the taxpayer’s money goes, but the interest of the security sector is we make sure that government project is funded and implemented. It should be completed para makinabangan ng taong bayan (so that it can be of use by the people),” Yano said.
The projects, he said, are funded in order to make an impact on the people’s lives.
“This is the mandate of the NTF-ELCAC and down to regional task forces up to the provincial task forces. So we would like to appeal to all LCEs (local chief executives), along this line, that if they have projects, no matter how small it is, please try to involve our security forces, so that we can assist in securing them,” he added.
The parameters, he said, could be discussed through the Regional Peace and Order Council and the Regional Development Council, as well as in the local peace and development councils.
https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1083406
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