Gov't convergence eyes development of remote village in Sultan Kudarat

From the Philippine Information Agency (Oct 28, 2020): Gov't convergence eyes development of remote village in Sultan Kudarat (By Danilo E. Doguiles)

BAGUMBAYAN, Sultan Kudarat, Oct. 28 (PIA) -- National government agencies and municipal and provincial government units converged in Barangay Sumilil in Bagumbayan, Sultan Kudarat Friday to conduct serbisyo caravan and kick off a sustainable peace and development program in the area.

Sumilil, one of the hardest-to-reach communities in Bagumbayan, is one of more than 60 target areas in SOCCSKSARGEN Region for the conduct of Retooled Community Support Program (RSCP) in line with the national government's whole-of-nation approach to bring services to underprivileged communities and end local communist armed conflict.

Among the services that the villagers enjoyed during the caravan were medical and dental services with medicines, circumcision, haircut, mobile civil registration, flu immunization for seniors, and contraceptive insertion for women.

Several regional line agencies were also present to deliver their respective services such as orientation in the new guidelines of the Land Transportation Office and lecture on how to avail of housing project from National Housing Authority.

TESDA XII Regional Director Rafael Abrogar II, chairperson of the Regional Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict technical working group emphasized that the serbisyo caravan is an initial activity for a more comprehensive development intervention for Barangay Sumilil based on an action plan that the residents and their officials, with the assistance of LGU Bagumbayan, have laid down for different government agencies, LGUs, and other stakeholders to respond to and deliver.

"Our program here today won't end with the serbisyo caravan of government offices. Serbisyo caravan is only the beginning because you are important," Director Abrogar said.

"President Rodrigo Roa Duterte has mandated government entities to bring services to barangays through EO 70 (Institutionalizing the Whole-of-Nation Approach and Creating the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict).

"Its primary objective is to fight and defeat insurgency not through guns and bullets and violence but through good governance and bringing the needed services to the people," he continued.

Sumilil have been "cleared" of the presence of the communist terrorist group through Community Support Program (CSP) of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, which qualified the barangay for conduct of RCSP.

Unlike the military-driven community support program, RCSP allows local government units, in close coordination with barangay officials and their residents, champion programs, projects and plans that will ensure sustainable peace and development in once CTG-influenced places.

At the serbisyo caravan, Bagumbayan Mayor Jonalette de Pedro confirmed that Barangay Sumilil's Development Plan has been incorporated in the municipal government's Annual Investment Plan (AIP).

In response to the needs of the community, LGU Bagumbayan initially pledges for the rehabilitation of road to interior sitios, provision of five jetmatic pumps for Sitio Mariva, establishment of goat raising livelihood for 20 solo parents, conduct mobile civil registration and mass wedding, and giving additional financial support to barangay tanods, and health workers.

Also, several government agencies have declared their commitments for the residents such as livelihood from the Department of Labor and Employment and Department of Social Welfare and Development; skills training from the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority; cattle, carabaos and goats for livelihood from the Department of Agriculture; free wifi from the Department of Information and Communications Technology; scholarship from the Commission on Higher Education; housing from the National Housing Authority, among others.

Also in the pipeline are important projects, including farm-to-market roads, electrification, water systems, and many others.

"This is the true government. The true government is the government brought to you by your barangay, municipal, and provincial governments and national government agencies...This is the true government, one that gives you development. Trust the government," Mayor de Pedro said.

Meanwhile, Ian Jon Clemente, local government operations officer VI of the Department of the Interior and Local Government confirmed that as pilot site of RCSP, Sumilil could receive P20-million worth of projects in 2022.

Speaking on behalf of DILG XII, Clemente promised that they will "monitor and stir government agencies" to facilitate the implementation of projects that the barangay local government units have proposed.

Clemente explained that the list of projects from the barangay LGU will be submitted to the RTF-ELCAC to be endorsed to the National Task Force, to the Regional Development Council (RDC) through the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) for funding by the Department of Budget and Management, and the office of their congressional representative.

Among the hundreds of residents who received benefits during the serbisyo caravan were 11 former members of the New Peoples Army who are currently enjoying government support through the Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program. (DED/PIA XII)

https://pia.gov.ph/news/articles/1057264