The Department of Interior Local Government (DILG) fears that many cleared barangays may become susceptible to the Communist Party of the Philippines due to the 2022 budget cut of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC).
The DILG said , this coud result to communities that could be again influenced by the New People’s Army, and National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF).
According to DILG Undersecretary Jonathan Malaya on Monday’s NTF-ELCAC virtual presser, with the reduced NTF-ELCAC budget which includes the Barangay Development Program (BDP), the task force comprising the various government agencies must convene immediately to discuss the realignment of the budget for each barangay.
Malaya, the task force spokesperson on local government affairs and BDP also said added. “there is an entire possibility that there will be barangays who will not receive some projects or other barangays will have a reduction of projects. NTF-ELCAC should meet or National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon, Jr. and task force vice chair should call for a meeting.
He added that these projects for the intended 1,406 barangays for 2022 have already gone through a long process and were chosen by the barangay residents themselves.
What will happen is the assistance and projects will not be complete. We may not be able to give funds to projects such as roads, school buildings, and water sanitation system, But, in any case, there will be a dramatic reduction in the projects that will be implemented by government,” Malaya said.
Malaya said further explaining that in this year alone, BDP has a total of 2,318 “ongoing projects” for conflict-affected barangays to enable them to resist the lies and intimidations of the CPP-NPA-NDF and gain their support, after military and police efforts drove them away from these communities
“I personally saw the benefits of these programs. So these projects are very, very important to the barangays that are BDP beneficiaries. But it (P17.1 billion) is a far cry from the P28.1 billion for the 1,406 barangays (programmed to be beneficiaries) for 2022. The implementation is that we reduce the number of barangays or reduce the budget per barangay. This was promised by the government that needs to be fulfilled,” Malaya said.
On the other hand, Davao de Oro Governor Tyron Uy, whose barangays are supposed to benefit from the program, said that while he was happy that the Bicam heeded the calls of local officials like him, the budget slash will still severely hinder government’s program to attain peace in far-flung barangays infested by the CPP-NPA-NDF.
“It was a bitter sweet victory. From the P4 billion earlier allocation, it became more or less P18 billion. But not fully restored budget. And through our voices, our plea were heard by ourlegislators,” Uy said.
The BDP also suffered another blow when typhoon Odette devastated parts of Visayas and Mindanao regions including Uy’s jurisdiction where barangay projects were affected by the typhoon.
“This may be an opportunity for the enemies of the state to push their agenda,” Uy said, adding that they have similar experience in 2013 when typhoon Pablo became an opportunity for the CPP-NPA-NDF to influence the typhoon-hit barangays in his turf.
The local official hoped that this legacy project of President Rodrigo Duterte will continue to sustain efforts to bring peace in villages formerly controlled by local communist insurgents.
Uy said that the budget cut “is another battle to hurdle” as he called on other LGUs to take other initiatives like using their ‘quick-response fund’ to help those beleaguered by typhoon Odette.
As for the BDP, Uy added that they have to contend using the small amount in building one to two kilometers of “opening” road instead of a complete farm-to-market road. However, based on the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) and DILG Guidelines on BDP this kind of projects are not allowed.