Around PHP500 million worth of Barangay Development Program (BDP) projects are now in the implementation stage in the Mimaropa (Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon, and Palawan) Region which is scheduled to be visited by President Rodrigo R. Duterte on November 4.
“Of the 822 barangay recipients for 2021, 25 are found in Mimaropa wherein a total of 109 BDP projects worth PHP500,000,000 are in the implementation stage,” said National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) vice chair Hermogenes Esperon Jr. in a statement Tuesday.
Esperon said the cleared barangays will be receiving a package of development programs worth PHP20 million per village through BDP alone.
These consist of five BDP core projects which include farm-to-market roads, school buildings, water and sanitation systems, livelihood programs, and health stations, he added.
“Other national government agencies shall be providing additional programs to augment the BDP as necessary,” said Esperon, who is also National Security Adviser.
He added that these projects will ensure that communities are fully equipped “with the essentials required for a respectable standard of living.”
“Local government support to the BDP has been led by Governors and Mayors. More local chief executives have come out with their support for the second batch of BDP. For FY (Fiscal Year) 2022, a total of 54 barangays in Mimaropa are to receive BDP packages in the region. Overall, a total of 1,406 barangays nationwide will receive the BDP funds of PHP20 million per barangay in 2022,” Esperon said.
He added that the NTF-ELCAC gives value to the intrinsic role of the local communities in nation-building.
“As such, the NTF-ELCAC continuously seeks innovative ways to ensure that all of our communities partner with us in our shared goals towards the advancement of the Philippines. The BDP remains our strongest tool and our deepest commitment to all Filipinos, especially to those affected by the atrocities of the CPP-NPA-NDF (Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army-National Democratic Front) that they are the government’s foremost priority in the pursuit for peace and development,” Esperon said.
He is also pleased to note that the Regional Task Force-ELCAC (RTF-ELCAC) has implemented several activities to aid communities out of poverty and stagnation.
Duterte, who is NTF-ELCAC chair, will be visiting Mimaropa as the RTF-ELCAC highlights the administration’s legacy towards development and peace being implemented in the area, Esperon said.
This includes sustainable agriculture and livelihood programs such as Project Save, and Project Sagip which have assisted local farming communities for their sustenance.
“Livelihood assistance were likewise provided to a total of 224 regular New People’s Army surrenderers who have returned to the folds of the law from 2020 to 2021,” Esperon said.
He also said Mimaropa’s peace and security is effectively managed through the joint efforts of the security forces and civilian agencies in the region.
“I am proud to note that from 2020 to 2021, two guerilla fronts have been significantly weakened while one has been dismantled. Communities which were cleared of the threat and influence of the CPP-NPA-NDF through Guerilla Fronts now constitute the first batch recipients of the BDP,” Esperon added.
The NTF-ELCAC vice chair said Duterte, as a former mayor and a strong proponent of local government development, has pushed for several development initiatives which promote inclusivity and sustainability.
“These undertakings, particularly aimed at poverty alleviation, addressing basic human needs, and rural progress, were conceptualized to address the root causes and issues being exploited by the communist terrorist group (CTG) for its recruitment,” Esperon said.
In pursuit of this end, Esperon said Duterte had directed the government to enhance its support for existing socio-economic programs which include free tertiary education, free irrigation, universal healthcare, the improved Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps), and the Build, Build, Program.
“Altogether, these programs are synchronized further narrowing the gaps in the socio-economic conditions of the country. These initiatives on enhanced social welfare, job creation, livelihood assistance, and infrastructure development, are the foundations by which we create inclusive and sustainable growth,” he added.
He said to complement Duterte’s rural development agenda, the BDP was conceptualized to give emphasis for communities which need the government’s immediate assistance.
“Through these extensive reinforcements of our barangays, the President is ensuring to generations of Filipinos that no one is to be left behind,” he added. (PNA)
