Anti-insurgency task force clusters have until today to submit bids

CEBU, Philippines — The 12 clusters of the Regional Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (RTF-ELCAC) in Central Visayas have until today to submit their project proposals for 2021.

Presidential Assistant for the Visayas Michael Dino, who also sits as the cabinet officer for Regional Development for Security (CORDS) in Central Visayas, told the clusters during their meeting on February 11 to come up with proposals based on the issues and concerns raised by the identified conflict-affected and vulnerable barangays.

Currently, there are 16 identified conflict-affected and vulnerable barangays in Region 7. All these areas are located in Negros Oriental.

Dino, in a statement, said today’s submission aims to plan out and prepare the project proposals for ELCAC efforts.

The proposal will be submitted to the joint Regional Development Council (RDC)—Regional Peace and Order Council (RPOC), which is scheduled to convene next month.

The February 21 deadline was also set to meet the Department of Budget and Management’s deadline.

DBM issued National Budget Memorandum Circular 133 containing the national budget call for fiscal year 2021. Even before the approval of the 2020 national budget last year, DBM has already asked government agencies to start preparing their budget proposals for fiscal year 2021.

During last week’s meeting, Dino thanked all agencies that have contributed to the successful implementation of Executive Order (EO) No. 70.

In 2018, President Rodrigo Duterte issued EO 70 which forms a national task force to end local communist armed conflict and directing the adoption of a national peace framework.

Under the EO, the task force is mandated to provide an efficient mechanism structure for the implementation of a “whole-of-nation” approach, which was likewise institutionalized as a government policy for the attainment of inclusive and sustainable peace.

Dino made a special mention to the Department of Interior and Local Government-7 for its efforts in completing the series of “Dagyawan sa Barangay: Talakayan at Serbisyo sa Mamamayan,” which aims to resolve local issues and concerns at the grassroots level.

During the said meeting, Assistant Secretary Anthony Gerard “Jonji” Gonzales was also designated by Dino as the chairman of the RTF-ELCAC technical working group (TWG).

The TWG will ensure that the plans, programs and projects for the conflict-manageable and development-ready communist terrorist groups-affected areas will be endorsed accordingly for budget allocation and implementation.

They will also conduct site visits of the listed projects as part of the monitoring of the ongoing implementation of ELCAC interventions for 2020.

Included in the list of proposals are the projects that will be launched or inaugurated by March of this year.

Dino encouraged all agencies to continue working “diligently and with tenacity” in fulfilling the president’s thrust towards sustainable peace and development.  KQD (FREEMAN)