4 Zambo Sur NTF-ELCAC infra projects underway

From the Philippine News Agency (Oct 16, 2021): 4 Zambo Sur NTF-ELCAC infra projects underway (By Teofilo Garcia, Jr.)

GROUNDBREAKING. Government and military officials grace the groundbreaking of one of four Barangay Development Program projects in Zamboanga del Sur on Friday (Oct. 15, 2021). Four road concreting projects worth PHP20 million each are funded by the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict. (Photo courtesy of 53IB)

Zamboanga del Sur has four Barangay Development Program (BDP) projects, which are funded by the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC).

The BDP is the flagship program of NTF-ELCAC, which was created under Executive Order No. 70 in December 2018 to finally address insurgency by employing a whole-of-nation approach to institute peace-building initiatives.

The province’s four BDP projects worth PHP20 million each are the construction and concreting of a 1.4 kilometer-road in Purok 1, Barangay San Jose, Lapuyan; concreting of the 1.3-kilometer local access road from Purok 2 to Purok 4 in Barangay Concepcion, San Miguel; concreting of a 1.6-kilometer road in Barangay Datagan, Guipos; and concreting of 1.2 kilometers from Purok 2 to Purok 4 in Barangay Gasa, Lakewood.

“Where there is road, there is progress. The people are now happy that after a very long time, the government is now finally here addressing the concerns of the community,” Governor Victor Yu, the Provincial Task Force-ELCAC chairperson, said in a statement on Saturday.

Yu led a groundbreaking on Friday that signaled the start of the four projects.

He was joined by other government and military officials.

In a statement, Lt. Col. Jo-ar Herrera, the Army’s 53rd Infantry Battalion commander, said BDP projects will sustain peace initiatives in Zamboanga del Sur.

Once completed, Herrera said the roads will translate to the delivery of basic services to the community such as health, education, job opportunities, and increased income.

“Knowing that the government is here, these BDP projects will sustain the peace and development efforts of the government,” he added.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1156884