NTF-ELCAC vital in govt. peace efforts

From the Mindanao Examiner (Feb 15, 2023): NTF-ELCAC vital in govt. peace efforts

CEBU CITY – Localized peace dialogues organized by the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) are a big boost in gaining the people’s trust in the government, said Army Lt. General Benedict Arevalo, chief of the Visayas Command.

Arevalo said the task force empowers citizens to take the lead to pursue their community’s peace and development.



Army Lt. Gen. Benedict Arevalo (left), chief of the Visayas Command, and his deputy commander Commodore Oscar Canlas Jr. during a news briefing in Cebu. (Photo by Visayas Command)

“Much of what we have accomplished is attributed to the Task Force through its peace dialogue mechanism, community development initiatives, and local government empowerment endeavors,” he said.

Arevalo underscored the need for a platform for the whole-of-government approach in solving the decades-old insurgency problem. He even cited that through the localized peace dialogues of NTF-ELCAC, over 200 communist rebels surrendered last year.

He said just recently, over a dozen members of the New People’s Army also returned to the fold of the law and yielded eight firearms.

The government’s Enhanced Comprehensive Localized Integration Program also greatly helped former rebels to smoothly transition and reintegrate into mainstream society, according to Arevalo.

He said the 562 Barangay Development Program - an initiative spearheaded by the local government units in the country to promote development in the grassroots level - in the former NPA-infested communities in the entire Visayas region intends to bring sustainable development programs to conflict-prone and conflict-affected communities.

One of the main goals of the Barangay Development Program is to improve the quality of life for residents in conflict-prone and conflict-affected barangays by implementing various projects and programs. (John Rey Saavedra and Cebu Examiner)

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