CARAGA HOLDS FIRST SBDP PROJECT GROUNDBREAKING IN MINDANAO

The Caraga Regional Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (RTF-ELCAC) recently held the groundbreaking of the P20 million worth farm-to-market road project in Barangay Mahanub, an insurgencycleared barangay in the municipality of Gigaquit of this province, marking it the first Barangay Development Project (BDP) groundbreaking activity in the entire Mindanao.

The project is one of the 357 projects in the region totaling to P3.8 billion funded by the Local Government Support Fund – Support to Barangay Development Program (LGSF-SBDP) of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC). The ceremony was attended by the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Executive Order No. 70 Project Management Office Director Rene Valera; NTF-ELCAC Director of the BDP Committee Monico Batle; NTF-ELCAC Supervising Director for Caraga and Poverty Reduction, Livelihood, and Employment Cluster Maria Lourdes Santelices; Surigao del Norte Governor Francisco “Lalo” Matugas; Vice Governor Geed Gokiangkee; Surigao del Norte 1st District representative Cong. Bingo Matugas; Gigaquit Mayor Chandru Bonite; and DILG Caraga Regional Director Lilibeth Famacion.

In the pre-recorded message of NTF-ELCAC Vice Chairperson and National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon Jr, he congratulated the barangay for the quick response in transforming their community from the influences of the CPP-NPANDF.

“We all know that your barangay was once considered as a geographically isolated and disadvantaged area (GIDA) wherein it is hard to be reached by government programs, making your barangay prone to the influence of the NPA. Now, it is the start of the day that Brgy. Mahanub will not anymore be considered as GIDA because your barangay is the first to respond to the call of transforming your community by creating and sustaining peace through the completion of all (EO 70) processes,” Secretary Esperon said.

Meanwhile, in the testimony of punong barangay Julito Go, he expressed the sincere gratitude and excitement of the barangay officials and residents for the construction of the road.

“Our lives used to be very difficult with the presence of the NPA. But thanks to the active support of the police and armed forces and the leadership of President Rodrigo Duterte, we are in a much more peaceful situation now. We are hoping that more projects will be implemented in our barangay through the ELCAC initiative,” the punong barangay shared.

As the Head Secretariat and Chairperson of the RTF-ELCAC Technical Working Group, Director Famacion assured the people of Mahanub that the DILG will work hard to ensure the

swift and transparent implementation of the project. She also shared that there are other windows that the local government units can apply for the funding of their priority projects, such as the Financial Assistance to LGUs (FALGU).

“As your DILG, we will keep on working hard, together with our partners, to make sure that Brgy. Mahanub will finally enjoy the fruits of sustainable and inclusive peace and development. With the kick-off of the implementation of the project through this ceremony, we expect to do the same in the other BDP projects in the region. This only proves that the fight to end local communist armed conflict in Caraga region has been very successful,” said Dir. Famacion.

Mahanub is one of the 191 barangays in Caraga region that received a P20 million worth of funding assistance for FY 2021 for the implementation of their priority projects following the identification of their issues and concerns through the Retooled Community Support Program (RCSP). (DILGCaraga/PIA-Surigao del Norte)