TACLOBAN CITY, Aug 15 (PIA) -- Secretary Eduardo Del Rosario, Cabinet Officer for Regional Development and Security in Region 8 (CORDS 8), stressed that the real challenge in Region 8 especially in the Island of Samar is balancing priorities between development programs and programs to attain peace and security.
In his speech during the virtual Visayas Inter-Regional Task Force Convergence Meeting on August 14, Secretary Del Rosario said that development alone cannot be accomplished overnight for there can never be development without peace.
“This is the reason why ELCAC exists,” the CORDS 8 said, “to provide adequate balance between development and security through a strong platform of good governance.”
Thus, in the summing up exercise, Del Rosario cautioned his colleagues that it is not only important to know the number of activities delivered by each cluster but also equally important is the honest assessment on how the collective efforts have truly enhanced development on the ground and the people benefitted from the projects, and have these projects and programs contributed to the higher national strategic goal of reducing CTG capabilities and preventing recruitment.
“Only then can we proudly claim that we are winning in this whole campaign,” Del Rosario added.
Del Rosario intimated that on the part of the RTF 8-ELCAC, in order to complement efforts in the Region, it has recommended to the NTF-ELCAC leadership the possible formulation of an inter-agency agreement to allow the conduct of information drives in schools to shield students from CTG radicalization and recruitment.
He also announced that the RTF8-ELCAC was successful in getting the support of the Samar Island Partnership for Peace and Development (SIPPAD), a multi-sectoral organization convened by the faith communities of Samar, as private sector representative in RTF8.
Del Rosario commended the officers and members of the Regional Task Force 8 to Eliminate Communist Armed Conflict for their superb accomplishments in the first semester of 2020 despite occasional setbacks and the threat of the COVID pandemic.
“I congratulate everyone in the RTF-ELCAC Team especially my co-vice chairs, Governor Leopoldo Dominico Petilla; Chairperson of RDC 8 and Governor Ben Evardone, Chairperson of RPOC 8; and Major General Pio Diñoso III, TWG Chairperson for a superb performance in the first half of the year and standing up to the challenges of sustaining good governance despite occasional tactical setbacks and the spread of the COVID pandemic,” Secretary Del Rosario said.
The August 14 activity was organized by the National Task Force-ELCAC and was participated in by the CORDS, JRTF Vice Chairpersons, Governors, City Mayors, TWG Heads, Secretaries, CORDS Advisers, 12 National Cluster Heads, and NTF Secretariat, among others.
The activity which was presided by National Security Adviser and NTF-ELCAC Vice Chair Secretary Hermogenes Esperon Jr., aimed to apprise the CORDS and the JRTF-ELCAC core groups on the current security updates on Region 6, 7 and 8; to identify inter-regional peace and development gaps; harmonize and synchronize peace and development efforts of JRTFs’ target priority barangays; assess and review the current performance of JRTFs; and come up with unified and harmonized efforts of implementing the JRTFs programs, activities and projects. (PIA-8)
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