PRLEC gets NTF-ELCAC recognition for its poverty reduction, livelihood programs
By Dhel Nazario
A Certificate of Recognition was awarded to the Poverty Reduction, Livelihood, and Employment Cluster (PRLEC) by the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) for its whole-of-nation approach through convergence and good governance.
The recognition was given in celebration of the second anniversary of NTF-ELCAC.
PRLEC Chairperson and Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) Secretary Isidro Lapeña was in Davao City to visit PRLEC projects in Davao Region.
"Through convergence efforts of the 30 member agencies and private partners, PRLEC has institutionalized livelihood projects in the barangay development programs of the NTF ELCAC," TESDA said.
Lapeña expressed his gratitude to NTF-ELCAC for the recognition and vowed to continue PRLEC's commitment to empower every remote community in the country.
"Today’s celebration should be a time to look back on our humble accomplishments and reflect on what still needs to be done to sustain our gains. Only through our sincerest actions and concrete government programs can we win the hearts and minds of the Filipino People," Lapeña said.
The TESDA Chief also shared that PRLEC will adapt new strategies to ensure better services for communities as part of the government’s efforts to further promote sustainable and inclusive peace.
As of November 19, 2020, 143 villages all over the country benefited from the Barangay Development Programs implemented by PRLEC.
Despite the pandemic, it was able to implement hundreds of skills training, livelihood projects, and financial support in conflict-affected barangays and geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas (GIDAs).
Among these are the establishment of organic farms, production sites, and trading centers for agricultural products, community poultry, vegetable production and processing centers, Tubig Kalikasan para sa Barangay (TUKABA), Project IPEACE for the indigenous communities, and Photovoltaic Systems Installation NC II (Project TALA) with a total of 8,507 barangay constituents enrolled.
President Rodrigo Duterte signed Executive Order No. 70, “Institutionalizing the Whole of Nation Approach in Attaining Inclusive and Sustainable Peace and Creating the NTF-ELCAC” last November 2018 to institutionalize 12 lines of effort to address the different aspects of the local communist armed conflict.
One of the 12 lines of efforts under the NTF-ELCAC is the PRLEC being led by TESDA which aims to develop self-reliant, productive, resilient, and sustainable communities through harmonized and culturally responsive development programs.