PROVINCE OF CAGAYAN– The Cagayan Provincial Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (PTF-ELCAC) met virtually on April 29, 2021 to wield a strategy in improving the peace and development situation in insurgency-affected barangays of the province.
DILG Cagayan Provincial Director Ruperto B. Maribbay Jr. said that the primary objective of the activity is to unify the government interventions in the ELCAC focus barangays and to determine the programs, projects, and activities contained in their Barangay Development Plans which could be funded by various national government agencies (NGAs).
PD Maribbay stated that six (6) barangays will receive funds under the Support to Barangay Development Program (SBDP). However, he said that there were calls from some members of the Congress to defund the initiative for Fiscal Year 2022. Further, he informed the body that a series of Serbisyo Caravans will be launched tentatively to start this June or July as part of the implementation of the Retooled Community Support Program (RCSP). PD Maribbay underscored that the Serbisyo Caravan is a mechanism to bring the services closer to the people by providing basic services directly to the grassroots level.
Cagayan Governor and PTF ELCAC Chairperson Manuel N. Mamba reiterated that the insurgency has already burdened the country for more than fifty years but is optimistic that this problem will finally come to an end, considering the serious efforts and decisiveness of the government under the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte. He also expressed his gratitude to the personnel of AFP and PNP for maintaining peace and stability, and for instituting community assistance services as well.
Highlights of the said meeting are the presentation of commitments and priority programs, projects, and activities (PPAs) for the province of Cagayan from different NGAs such as TESDA, DOLE, DA, DTI, CHED, DepEd, DAR, and DOJ.
The Provincial Government of Cagayan also pledged to support the BDP-identified PPAs of the twenty seven (27) ELCAC focus barangays. Aside from the community-based innovations which benefitted all the barangays of the province, the provincial government provides continuous technical and financial assistance to the communities.
The Provincial Task Force is expected to meet again next quarter to assess the implementation of ELCAC-related initiatives.(SOURCE: LGOO II RENZ ANGELO P. UMAMBONG)
