Duterte to visit ‘liberated’ villages in at least 3 regions

PResident du te rte is expected to personally visit today (Friday) barangay clusters that were recently “liberated” from the clutches of New People’s Army rebels and are beneficiaries of a Congress-approved Barangay Development Program (BDP), the National security council said on thursday.

In a news statement, National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon Jr. said President Duterte, as chairman of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict( NT F-EL CA C) will be visiting on Friday, Region 10 and then Region 8 and Region 4 on the following weeks this month.

“President Duterte intends to visit each region in the country on a weekly basis for consultations and dialogues,as well as to grace the regional implementation of the Barangay Development Program,” Esperon said.

During the visit, the President will be accompanies by Cabinet members whose respective agencies have initiated projects in the identified barangays, along with governors, city mayors, provincial representatives of the league of Municipalities, provincial representatives of the League of Barangays and the chairmen of recipient barangays.

“We are now pushing forward with our barangay-level initiatives, with the President meeting bar an gay officials and chairpersons of the 822 barangays that will be receiving thebdp. as chairperson of the NTF-ELCAC, the President shall be meeting with local chief executives, including the barangay-beneficiaries of the BDP to present to the people of the region the package of projects they are to receive,” Esperon added.

At least 822 barangays that have been “cleared” of NPA influence are included in the BDP, and each is expected to receive P20 million for this year to be used for specified projects intended for development.

The release of funds for the BDP is covered by Local Budget Circular 135 and 135-A from the Department of Budget and Management. This circular details the guidelines on the release and utilization of the Local Government Support Fund-support to the BDP of the NTF-ELCAC this year.

Projects earmarked for each barangay include P12 million farm-to-market roads; P3 million school buildings; P2 million water sanitation; P1.5 million skills and livelihood training; and P1.5 million health sanitations.

“These programs are aimed at addressingissues that thecp p-n pa[ communist Party of the Philippines-npa] utilize in their propaganda and recruitment, such as poverty, isolation, diseases, hunger and lack of educational and livelihood opportunities,” Esperon said.

Esperon also expressed confidence that with the President himself leading the program, there will be quick degradation of the capabilities of the insurgents. He said eventually the entire country will be cleared from rebel threats.