Malacañang on Tuesday appealed to the Senate to support the development projects, particularly in the far-flung villages, initiated by the National Task Force To End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) to maintain peace and order in the country.
Acting Presidential Spokesperson and Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles made the call after the Senate Committee on Finance earlier decided to slash NTF-ELCAC’s proposed 2022 budget from P28.12 billion to PHP4 billion.
“We are asking the Senate to reconsider their decision because first and foremost), there cannot be peace without development; there cannot be any development without peace. They go hand in hand and our good senators know that,” Nograles said in a virtual presser.
Nograles said many local government units are expecting to benefit from the NTF-ELCAC’s Barangay Development Program (BDP), which aims to help people living in areas freed from the communist insurgency.
“LGUs that are trying to maintain peace within their respective localities are relying on these projects. These projects will sustain our peace and development efforts,” the Palace official said.
He expressed hope that the Senate would retain the NTF-ELCAC’s proposed budget for 2022.
“We are asking the Senate to support these projects for the betterment of our fellow countrymen residing in far-flung areas and hoping for peace through these projects,” Nograles said.
The BDP, which intends to bring development to former conflict-prone communities, is a package of socio-ecoomic development programs that include farm-to-market roads, livelihood, irrigation, and health stations.
A total of 1,406 villages nationwide are expected to benefit in 2022.
They are set to receive P20 million each to finance their development projects.