Wednesday, October 16, 2019

Gov't agencies, LGUs bring services to a remote village in N. Cotabato

From the Philippine Information Agency (Oct 16, 2019): Gov't agencies, LGUs bring services to a remote village in N. Cotabato


The Serbisyo Caravan in Balite, Magpet signals the beginning of a comprehensive effort of government instrumentalities for the development of the community under a whole-of-nation approach.

KORONADAL CITY, South Cotabato – For Edgar Hantoc, chairman of Barangay Balite, Magpet in North Cotabato, the Serbisyo Caravan in his village on Tuesday means a brighter future for his community.

“This is different. In the past, we hardly received benefits from the government. Now, our joy is full that the government is giving so much attention to our community through projects such as roads, water system and electricity," Hantoc said.

Balite is among priority barangays for the implementation of the governments’s Retooled Community Support Program (RCSP) in the implementation of President Duterte’s Executive Order No. 70. (Institutionalizing Whole-of-Nation Approach in Attaining Inclusive and Sustainable Peace, Creating the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict)

On October 15, different government agencies in SOCCSKSARGEN Region collaborated with the Provincial Government of Cotabato and the Municipal Government of Magpet for a caravan that brought basic services to the residents in the area.

Josephine Leysa, regional director of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) XII, said the caravan kick-started a more comprehensive collaboration of government instrumentalities to address the development needs of Balite.

“Under the Retooled Community Support Program, Serbisyo Caravan is only the start. [RCSP] is a continuing delivery of services not only by the national government but most importantly by the provincial and municipal government units,” Director Leysa said.

Services rendered in the Serbisyo Caravan include medical check up and free medicine, tooth extraction, distribution of food packs, training on hair cutting and nail care, free seeds, animal vaccination and giving of vitamins, haircut, issuance of police clearance, orientation on livelihood and technical training assistance, scholarships, and many others.



National line agencies that offered services alongside the departments of the provincial government included the Department of Social Welfare and Development, Department of Health, Department of Agriculture, Department of Agrarian Reform, National Commission on Indigenous Peoples, Commission on Higher Education, Department of Education, Land Transportation Offices, Technical Education and Skills Development Authority, Department of Labor and Employment, National Housing Authority, Bureau of Fire, Armed Forces of the Philippines, and Philippine National Police.

Leysa explained further that through the RCSP, the target barangay should identify its needs by specifying these on their Barangay Development Plan, which should in turn become the basis for the municipal and provincial government as well as the appropriate national government agencies to act on.

Among the projects that the barangay council of Balite have proposed for the next three years consist of farm-to-market roads and bridges that would connect the barangay to its sitios (subvillages) and other villages in the area, water systems, classrooms, sitio electrification, multipurpose covered court, livestock dispersal, distribution of planting materials, solar dryers, Bagsakan center for farm produce, and skills trainings.



Chairman Hantoc believes that the implementation of such projects would help sustain the peace-building efforts that the Armed Forces of the Philippines has begun in the area.

Balite is one of the eight barangays in Cotabato Province that have been identified by the AFP as “NPA influenced” and are included as focus areas for the whole-of-nation approach in fighting local armed conflict.

In an inteview, acting Governor Emmylou “Lala” TaliƱo-Mendoza admitted that New Peoples’ Army has remained active in some parts of Cotabato Province. She emphasized that insurgency can be eliminated only by concerted efforts of all government instrumentalities and the residents.

“Executive Order No. 70, reminds us that ensuring peace and order is not the sole responsibility of the police and the armed forces,” Mendoza said. “[The whole-of-nation approach] strenghthens the collaboration, support system and the programs of the AFP and the LGU to totally suppress the presence of the NPA in Cotabato Province, especially in the municipality of Magpet.”

After Barangay Balite, Serbisyo Caravan will proceed to Barangay Basak, Magpet on October 17 and Barangay Kabalantian, Arakan on October 19.

Five more barangays have also been scheduled for Serbisyo Caravan: Don Panaca in Magpet on November 7, Datu Ladayon in Arakan on November 8, Malabuan in Makilala on November 12, Luayon in Makilala on November 13, and Batang in Tulunan on November 15.
(DED/PIA XII)

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