NGA heads pitch call to restore NTF ELCAC budget

 

DAVAO CITY--- Heads of national line agencies in Region XI expressed respective appeals to the Senate to sustain the 

budget for the National Task Force on Ending Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF ELCAC) especially for the Barangay

Development Program (BDP).

 

They testify to  the relevance of Executive Order No. 70 that creates the NTF ELCAC which operates under the principle 

of whole of nation approach that brings into intensified public service, the entire machinery of the national and local 

government in  tie-up with civic  and non-government organizations.

 

During  the latest round of the Duterte Legacy Barangayanihan Caravan towards National Recovery,  Department of 

Interior and Local (DILG)  Davao del Norte Asst Provincial Director Jeanette Palmera pitched a public  call for people 

to help make lawmakers understand the significance of pushing thru the implementation of barangay-based projects.

 

She was referring to the BDP thru which  certain barangays cleared of insurgency problems were allotted with P20-million  

worth of projects in year 2022.

“Tabangi mi ninyo nga ipaabot gayod sa kauluhan nga dako kaayo ug tabang ang maong proyekto sa kabarangayan.

Kay siguro wala sila makaabot sa atong mga lugar, dili nila mabati ang epekto sa maong mga programa ug proyekto. 

So kinahanglan nga ipaabot nato sa ilaha.  (Help us bring to the central government <the info> that these projects

are really of immense help to the  barangays. Maybe they have yet to reach  our areas why they have yet to  feel the

impact of these programs and projects. So we have to let them know),” Palmera said in addressing the audience 

of the provincial rollout of the Duterte Legacy Barangayanihan Caravan conducted on November 12 at the Municipal  

Government Center in Sto. Tomas, Davao del Norte.

 

She extended her call for the public to vote for political candidates who favor for  the BDP to  bring support for 

barangay development.

 

“Kung kinahanglan mopili ta ug  kandidato nga iya sa barangay program, kato ang atong pilion  karon sunod tuig, 

kay mag unsa man kung walay suporta ang atong kabarangayan. (If there is a need for us to choose candidates 

for the barangay program, we have to choose them next year.  What can we do if barangays  are absence of support.),”

 she said.

 

In a separate press conference during the Opening of the Regional Skills Competition,  Technical Education 

and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) Regional Director Lorenzo Macapili expressed his appeal to  the Senate 

“not to strike out the budget intended to NTF ELCAC.

 

“Dili unta itangtang mas maayo (It  would be good not to strike it down), Engr. Macapili said while noting that 

the clustering of national line agencies into 12 lines of efforts (LOE)  has  made government service delivery more efficient.

 

“We found it to  be very effective mechanism, because developing high impact programs, does not mean TESDA 

delivers it alone.  TESDA does not work in isolation,” he said as he shared working closely with other NGAs under

 the Poverty Reduction Livelihood Employment Cluster (PRLEC) headed by TESDA at the national and regional level.

 

Macapili has given credit  to  E.O. 70 for enabling TESDA and other government line agencies to bring services 

to far-flung areas. (PIA XI/ Jeanevive Duron Abangan)