NOTF-ELCAC appeal to gov’t to continue funding barangay dev’t program

 MINERVA BC NEWMAN

NEGROS ORIENTAL – The Negros Oriental Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NOTF ELCAC) led by governor Roel Degamo with Mabinay Task Force on ELCAC Chair and Mayor Joeterry Uy, the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG-7) and the Philippine Army appealed to the national government for the continuous implementation and funding of the Barangay Development Program (BDP) to clear villages from the influence of insurgents and pave the way for socio-political/economic development of the countryside.

The appeal was issued during the May 12 Serbisyo Caravan event at Barangay Samac in Mabinay town in Negros Oriental where more than 100 residents received major goods, services and interventions from the various government agencies in Central Visayas.

According to DILG-7 regional director Leocadio Trovela that there are 87 barangays in Central Visayas, 26 of which are from Negros Oriental that were included in the second batch of beneficiaries of the BDP funds.

“Although they are not part of the recipients of the P20 million BDP funding this year, they are expected to receive the same amount of money in 2022,” Trovela said.

Some legislators in the Upper House have called for the defunding of the BDP amid the issue of red-tagging in the NCR as they push that the funds be realigned to the country’s COVID-19 response efforts.

To date, 822 barangays nationwide are beneficiaries of the BDP funds with an accumulated amount of P16-B for 2021.

Trovela said that BDP funds are used for road concreting projects, construction or rehabilitation of health centers, day centers, and other important structures in the barangay; health and COVID-19 programs; rural electrification systems, livelihood programs, and assistance to individuals in crisis whether burial, transportation, medical, education, or cash for work.

PA’s 302^nd Infantry Brigade commander Col. Leonardo Peña said that if Congress will not allow the release of the budget then the funding allocation will be lost.

Peña was referring to the P20-M budget for BDP which is intended for barangays that have undergone Community Support Program (CSP), a tool for clearing villages from the influence of insurgents.  

He was referring to the P20-M budget for BDP which is intended for barangays that have undergone Community Support Program (CSP), a tool for clearing villages from the influence of insurgents.

“Let us not defund the BDP. The P20 million amount will be used for the infrastructure programs in the barangay that we have cleared using CSP” Peña said.

Degamo on the other hand said that the country’s legislators should look at what is good for the people. “The BDP is the key to achieve peace and progress in our province.  This is the way and the only way to make people trust the public servants,” he added.

Mabinay mayor Joeterry Uy bared that some of the important infrastructure projects intended for Barangay Samac are also up for funding under the ELCAC/BDP budget and there are other allocations of one million pesos for the road concreting in Lower Polog and P800,000 for the construction of spillway in Sitio Magbalaon for this year.