Davao Oriental, Samal mayors urge Congress not to defund NTF ELCAC

Davao Oriental Governor Nelson Dayanghirang urged Congress not to defund the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF ELCAC), stating that doing so would harm barangays successfully cleared of communist influence.

Island Garden City of Samal Mayor Al David Uy echoed this sentiment, calling the defunding of NTF ELCAC "foolish" and a disservice to barangays that have fought hard to clear their communities of communist terrorist groups (CTGs).

Uy emphasized that issues should be dealt with by addressing the individuals involved, not by defunding the program.

The Barangay Development Program (BDP), a key initiative of NTF ELCAC, aims to maintain peace in cleared areas through development projects.

Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi stated that defunding NTF-ELCAC would be a blow to the budget for barangay programs and would undo the gains of the anti-insurgency campaign.

The task force's goal is to bring basic programs and services closer to the people in far-flung communities and encourage communist armed groups to return to the mainstream.

Of NTF ELCAC's PHP19 billion budget, PHP16.5 billion is allocated for the development of 822 identified barangays nationwide that were previously NPA guerilla fronts.

Each recipient barangay would receive PHP20 million for projects such as farm-to-market roads, classrooms, water and sanitation systems, health stations, and livelihood projects.