Gov’t pours some P10M dev’t projects to end insurgency in Mabinay, Negros Oriental

NEGROS ORIENTAL – The government through the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) here, the Negros Oriental Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NOTF-ELCAC) and the municipality of Mabinay, Negros Oriental has called on the various national and local government units to respond to the issues of projects and development to end insurgency at the countryside or barangays during a “Dagyawan sa Barangay: Talakayan Para sa Mamamayan” dialog, November 5 at the Mabinay town Gym, Negros Oriental.

According to the Philippine Information Agency (PIA)-Negros Oriental Provincial Head, Jennifer Tilos that the DILG here has called on these concerned agencies to respond to the concerns on infrastructure or farm-to-market roads, spillway, potable water, livelihood, electricity, among others that were raised during the dialogue.

Tilos said that Mabinay Vice Mayor Ernie Uy was hopeful that the needed projects presented will be realized next year and he thanked the different agencies that signified their commitment to respond to the needs of the said barangays.

"What we need is the cooperation of all because if we rely only on the LGU, I am sure we cannot afford with (our) meagre budget. But if we have the province and national agencies to assist us, there is a collective effort to resolve the problems in each barangay," Uy said.

Uy bared that the Mabinay Sangguniang Bayan (SB) committed to set aside P10-M for the identified projects needed for Barangays Samac, Luyang, and Bagtic.  He said that P2.7-M has been allotted for the road rehabilitation and spillway of Samac; P4-M for the construction of community market, potable water supply and spillway of Bagtic; and another P2.7-M for the construction of the barangay hall of Luyang.

DILG-Negros Oriental Provincial Director Johnjoan Mende described the Dagyawan sa Barangay as a collaboration and cooperation among different sectors in the society to support the three barangays to attend to the development of their communities.

Mende noted that the concerns raised by the barangays are rooted on issues that cause unrest in their communities, pointing out that “if there is no development, there is no peace and vice-versa,” a phrase often uttered by Negros Oriental governor Roel Degamo, Mende added.

“With our commitment today to assist or respond to barangays’ needs by using the ‘lens of peace,' this can go a long way. However, our assistance takes time due to lack of resources, so we cannot accommodate all the needs because there is a process that we must follow, (which is) to plan and to make a budget,” Mende explained.

According to the newly installed Brigade Commander Col. Leonardo Peña of the 302nd Infantry Brigade of the Philippine Army that for the "whole of nation approach," everyone needs to help and support the efforts for peace and progress for the next generation.

Peña assured the group that the Philippine Army with the police force are ready to support any endeavor to achieve peace in the province, “but before we can attain peace, we need to be empowered as a community, and our military agencies should be empowered to attain development and progress," Peña added.

Dagyawan is also part of the strategies in addressing insurgency in the area through the Negros Oriental Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NOTF-ELCAC) by responding to the basic needs in the vulnerable areas in the province, Tilos said.