NPA defeat factor in Caraga’s decreasing poverty incidence: RDC exec

From the Philippine News Agency (Aug 19, 2024): NPA defeat factor in Caraga’s decreasing poverty incidence: RDC exec (By Alexander Lopez)

Dinagat Governor and Caraga Regional Development Council Chair Nilo Demerey Jr. (File photo courtesy of Governor’s Office, Dinagat Islands)

BUTUAN CITY – The defeat of insurgency is among the factors reducing poverty in the Caraga Region, a top official here said Monday.

“The successful dismantling of structures and formations of the communist New People’s Army (NPA) has fostered peace and stability and opened more opportunities for businesses to grow in more areas of the region, including the tourism sector,” said Governor Nilo Demerey Jr., concurrent chairperson of the Regional Development Council, in an interview.

Based on the 2023 official poverty statistics released by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), the Caraga Region logged a significant decline in poverty incidence among the 18 regions in the country.

The region recorded an 11 percent decrease in poverty in 2023 compared to 2022, or a poverty incidence of 14.9 percent from 25.9 percent.

Last week, the Philippine Army, through its three brigades stationed in the region, reported the decline in the manpower and firearms capabilities of NPA structures and formations as of the first semester of this year.

It attributed the insurgency's weakened state to the dismantling of NPA guerrilla fronts and sub-regional formations operating in the region.

Caraga Development Plan

Demerey also attributed the achievement to implementing programs and services under the 2023-2028 Caraga Regional Development Plan (CRDP), designed to bring economic and social transformation to the region.

He said the implementation of the development plan, anchored on the i2FAME strategy, helped unlock the region’s opportunities for value creation and value chain generation.

The i2 stands for Industrialization and Innovation, while the FAME represents the region's Fishery, Agroforestry, Mining, and Ecotourism sectors.

“The strong support of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to the region's initiatives under the CRDP and i2FAME also helped improve our economy and the people's lives,” Demerey said.

Demerey said the government's line agencies have also performed well, providing programs and services that helped various sectors improve their productivity.

Similarly, he cited the release of support to farmers through mechanization, the construction of farm-to-market roads for improved accessibility, and the assistance to local entrepreneurs as additional factors to the recent drop in poverty in the region.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1231484