Barangay Development Program to address insurgency, says Usec Badoy

From the Philippine Information Agency (May 15, 2021): Barangay Development Program to address insurgency, says Usec Badoy (By Ailene N. Diaz) 

CATARMAN, Northern Samar, May 14 (PIA) -- The Barangay Development Program of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) is a government scheme that will address the insurgency in the six (6) identified barangays of Northern Samar out of the 822 remote barangays all over the country, said Undersecretary Lorraine Marie Badoy of the Presidential Communication Operations Office.

This she shared during an interview by PIA and members of the Capitol Press Corps of Northern Samar on Thursday during her visit to the province.

“People need to understand the Barangay Development Program. It is a good program but is endangered because of some senators who would not want the program to continue. This is a fight against CPP-NPA-NDF and can effectively end the 52 years of insurgency in the country, and end the poverty in the countryside, “ said Usec. Badoy when asked on the purpose of her visit.

“The President himself initiated the program on how to finish the insurgency through good governance and by enhancing government services though the Barangay Development Program, Usec. Badoy further said.

“The poor only have the government, if officials will not serve well, the poor will be helpless and easily be taken advantage of by the lies of the NPA, and that it is never even a lie because the people in the government really do not care at all. If you are an official in the government and you do not serve well, you make the poor vulnerable to the terrorists,” said Badoy.

The Barangay Development Program will really address the insurgency, all identified barangays will get a P20M funds, in answer to the basic needs of the community such as farm-to-market roads, water, electricity, among others.

“But the bigger problem really is poor governance, insurgency is just an off-shoot of the poor governance. Good governance will give you roads, an access to other services, but the reality is, even a simple birth certificate they don’t have, it’s because there’s no road, no access and this closes one to all access in government services,” Usec. Badoy sadly expressed.

Usec. Badoy, on foot, visited the two remote barangays Calatiao of Bobon and san Miguel of Las Navas to engage with the people, listen to their needs and see for herself the real situation.

She also attended the re-organization and planning activity of the Provincial Task Force Northern Samar and had a dialogue with the former rebels before leaving the province. (ldl/ADiaz/PIA-Northern Samar)

https://pia.gov.ph/news/articles/1075290