The following is a news release from the 303rd Infantry Brigade of the Philippine Army printed in full.
CAMP GERONA, Murcia, Negros Occidental – Escalante City’s CTF-ELCAC headed by Hon. Melecio Yap, Mayor of Escalante City together with Brigadier General Inocencio Pasaporte, 303rd Brigade Commander, Lt.Colonel J-Jay Javines, Battalion Commander of 79IB and Engr Joan Cabrera of Negros Occidental DILG inspected the ongoing TF-ELCAC funded Barangay Development Program projects at Brgys Pinapugasan, Mabini, Rizal and Alimango all of Escalante City, Negros Occidental on May 25, 2022 (Tuesday).
It can be recalled that a total of fourteen (14) insurgency-free declared Barangays in Escalante City were included among the twenty six (26) recipient Barangays under the Barangay Development Program (BDP) of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) that have received PhP20M fund each.
These Barangays were Alimango, Binaguiohan, Buenavista, Dian-ay, Japitan, Langub, Libertad, Mabini, Malasibog, Paitan, Pinapugasan, Rizal, Udtongan and Washington that benefitted with various infrastructure and non-infrastructure projects under the BDP-ELCAC such as concreting of farm-to-market roads, construction of additional school classrooms and health centers, electrification, water system reservoirs enhancements and communal faucets, installation of solar streetlights with complete accessories, farm tractors with complete implements and provision of fertilizers to farmer-beneficiaries. The farm to market road (FMR) under the BDP is 80% completed.
Brigadier General Inocencio Pasaporte, 303rd Infantry Brigade Commander said, “The role of the AFP is to support the NTF-ELCAC in sending out CSP teams to gather issues and concerns in these affected areas to provide the needed interventions. We proposed interventions in terms of development projects and these interventions aimed at addressing the root causes of insurgency such as poverty and lack of development projects, among others.
“Your Army in Negros will help assist our local DILG offices in terms of project implementation, monitoring and provision of necessary security support and assistance within our respective operational areas.” he added.
