The proposed P8.08 billion budget for the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) is intended to directly support development in barangays cleared of insurgency, the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) said.
The proposed budget for NTF-ELCAC is 314 percent higher compared to the recent fund allocation for this year.
DILG Secretary Juanito Victor “Jonvic’’ Remulla explained that barangays officially declared free of communist influence will each receive P10 million for development initiatives if the measure is approved.
In the past years, Remulla noted that the NTF-ELCAC budget had been “drastically cut down to half or around one-third of the budget.”
“It must be noted that under the national expenditure program (NEP) in 2025, P7.8 billion was proposed, but it was reduced to P1.95 billion per the General Appropriations Act (GAA),’’ Remulla said.
“This year, the full allocation is requested to be given to those certified as clear or have been cleared of communist insurgency,” he added.
Remulla pointed out that the intended use of the funds “is a reward for their performance and their cooperation to eliminate the insurgencies in their barangays.’’
Further, Remulla assured that the fund “goes straight to them and not to the other layers of government.”
On the other hand, DILG Undersecretary Marlo Iringan noted that 780 barangays are set to benefit from the allocation in 2025 with the projects being identified by the communities themselves.
“There were several consultations to determine the priority needs of the barangays. These are the projects which are funded by the SBD (Support to Barangay Development) fund,” Iringan lamented.
To ensure accountability, Iringan pointed out that safeguards are in place to monitor project implementation, stressing that the local government units (LGUs) must strictly follow guidelines issued by the Department of Budget and Management “and that civil society organizations (CSOs) are involved in monitoring the progress of the projects.’
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