RTF-ELCAC cites crucial role of villages in peace, dev’t efforts

From the Philippine News Agency (Mar 31, 2022): RTF-ELCAC cites crucial role of villages in peace, dev’t efforts (By John Rey Saavedra)

AID FOR FARMERS. National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) officials headed by its vice chairman Secretary Hermogenes Esperon distribute assistance to farmer cooperatives in Cebu province at the JPark Island Resort in Lapu-Lapu City on Thursday (March 31, 2022). National, regional, and local officials are in Cebu to present the gains on the ground of the whole-of-nation approach to ending local communist armed conflict in Central Visayas. (PNA photo by John Rey Saavedra)

The Regional Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (RTF-ELCAC) on Friday cited the key role of the barangay officials in sustaining the gains of the government’s peace and development initiatives down to the grassroots through the whole-of-nation approach ushered by President Rodrigo Duterte.

Lawyer Leocadio Trovela, Department of the Interior and Local Government-Central Visayas regional director and RTF-ELCAC-7 chair, presented the accomplishments of the local government units (LGU) in the effort to bring “government services closer to the people”.

Trovela is among the local, regional, and national government agency officials who attended the National Task Force-RTF-ELCAC joint meeting at the JPark Island Resort here where different clusters made presentations on sustained gains in the fight against local communist armed conflict.

“This presentation of the DILG is a testament of the local government units’ unwavering support to the call of President Duterte to bring services closer to the people,” Trovela said, citing the dedication of the Philippine National Police, Armed Forces of the Philippines, and different government offices in working with the barangay officials in accomplishing initiatives down to the grassroots level and continued community empowerment.

In his report, National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA)-Central Visayas regional director Efren Carreon said the peace-building efforts of the NTF-ELCAC through the continuous dialogues with LGUs have translated to economic gains in Region 7.

Carreon said that peace and development are now being felt in the focused areas because of continuous dialogues with the LGUs in the region through activities like Dagyawan sa Barangay and “serbisyo caravans”.

The Dagyawan sa Barangay was cited in the recent National Peace and Order Council meeting and the initiatives under it will be replicated in other regions as a listening tool to engaging barrio folks and indigenous communities.

“Basic services have reached conflict-stricken barangays and indigenous communities and contributed to the establishments of conflict-resilient and developed communities. Services are smoothly delivered because of the engagements and convergence among concerned agencies and communities,” Carreon said.

He said the RTF ELCAC-7 will continue the convergence efforts among the agencies, LGUs, and the communities and work further in the harmonization of the delivery of basic services and social development packages.

As an agency whose mandate anchors on economic development, Carreon said NEDA-7 will continue to monitor the implementation of ELCAC’s programs and projects and in holding information drive on peace, security, and development in the region.

The whole-of-nation approach underscored by Duterte in his Executive Order No. 70 organizing the NTF-ELCAC in 2018 has resulted in the clearing of Central Visayas villages that used to be influenced by communist terrorist groups, dismantling of the Southeastern Front and the Komiteng Rehiyon Negros-Cebu-Bohol-Siquijor, as well as the weakening of guerrilla fronts.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1171120