The National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) and the Regional Peace and Order Council-Eastern Visayas (RPOC-EV) commended the Joint Regional Task Force (JRTF) ELCAC-VIII for ending communist insurgency problems in Eastern Visayas.
In a consultative meeting, DILG Region VIII Director Arnel M. Agabe, the vice-chairman for civilian government of the JRTF-ELCAC VIII, presented the updates on the agency’s implementation of peace-related programs.
These programs include local government empowerment, basic services, sectoral unification, capacity building, empowerment and mobilization clusters, Communicating for Perpetual End to Extreme Violence and Forming Alliance Towards Positive Peace and Enriched Communities (C4PEACE) and Support to Barangay Development Program (SBDP).
He highlighted the increase in budget for SBDP from P4 million in 2022 to P6.6 million per barangay in 2023 and emphasized that this will help in the full implementation of the program.
The meeting was conducted to discuss the collaborative efforts of the RTF clusters in implementing EO 70 in the region.
The heads and members of the NTF-ELCAC, JRTF-ELCAC VIII, city mayors, and provincial presidents of the League of Municipalities in Region VIII attended the conference.
During the meeting, the attendees provided updates and recounted the successes in strengthening the counter-insurgency efforts of the JRTF-ELCAC VIII and NTF-ELCAC through a whole-of-nation approach.
The lead agency of each cluster presented their accomplishments for the first quarter of 2023, challenges in implementing projects, as well as their plans and the ways forward.
During the open forum, member agencies of JRTF-ELCAC VIII and even persons rescued from the communist terrorist group raised issues, concerns, and clarifications about the accomplishments with recommendations made through the guidance of the chairperson.