NTF-Elcac seeks more funds for former ‘rebel-infested’ brgys

THE National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-Elcac) is seeking more funding support for barangays that were formerly infiltrated or influenced by communist rebels.

In the 2024 national budget, the 864 barangays under the Barangay Development Program (BDP) will get P2.5 million, which is less than the targeted P10 million per barangay for the 2024 BDP.

The BDP aims to promote development in former communist-influenced barangays. These are in the form of socioeconomic projects such as farm-to-market roads, health centers, schools, water and sanitation facilities, and electrification projects.

“Each of these BDP beneficiaries were formerly influenced barangays. There is not a single barangay na nabigyan that was not influenced by the Communist Party of the Philippines/New People’s Army (CPP-NPA),” said NTF-Elcac executive director Undersecretary Ernesto Torres Jr.

Torres said the BDP is important in sustaining the gains of the government in freeing these barangays from communist influence, as they would diminish and totally eradicate the issues used by the CPP-NPA in agitating, radicalizing, and recruiting the residents.

“The recent effort on the part of your national secretariat to collaborate with Usec. Valmosina Barangay Operations of the DILG (Department of the Interior and Local Government) for all the recipient barangays for 2024, 864 all-in-all, to submit a resolution asking the national government kung pwede pang mapondohan in whatever way possible instead of P2.5 million to P10 million because we know the implementation of these projects in the BDP barangays has to be done urgently,” Torres said.