TOWARDS NEW LIVES. Interior and Local Government Secretary Benjamin Abalos Jr. (4th from left) leads the turnover of financial assistance to former rebels at Iloilo Convention Center in this August 2022 photo. National Security Adviser Eduardo Año said on Friday (May 17, 2024) that the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict made it possible for the Philippines to curb five decades of communist insurgency. (File photo courtesy of DILG Region 6 Facebook)
MANILA – National Security Adviser Eduardo Año on Friday said the Philippines is nearing the end of the five-decade-old communist insurgency menace, thanks to the efforts of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC).
In a statement, Año said the NTF-ELCAC's whole of nation approach in addressing insurgency has proven to be effective as it gathered the efforts of government agencies, uniformed personnel and civilian public servants in attaining "inclusive and sustainable peace".
Moreover, Año said the NTF-ELCAC has offered a “lifeline of restoration” for rebel returnees and surrenderers who want to be with their families and loved ones and return to mainstream society.
“In the past, these rebels knew only of pain, hatred, and despair, deceived by a God-less foreign ideology. Today, by working with various NTF-ELCAC clusters, thousands of former rebels have found relief, compassion and hope for a better future," Año said.
Through programs like the Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program (E-CLIP) and the Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situations (AICS), he said rebels who were once lost now tread the path to peace.
Along the way, the former insurgents received compassionate support that helps them rebuild and enjoy happy, safe, and productive lives.
"The Task Force also paves the way for the implementation of the Barangay Development Program (BDP) which also shows that sustainable, inclusive peace is attainable if government services and real development is brought to where it matters most,” he said.
He said far-flung barangays and distant sitios that were once underserved now feel, appreciate, and tangibly benefit from a wide range of government programs and services."
He underscored that the government is unfazed by "naysayers and pundits who will always oppose no matter how good the program is."
Año likewise thanked President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. for publicly stating that the NTF-ELCAC will never be abolished.
"We express our thanks to our Chairman, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. for his full support and strong vote of confidence for NTF-ELCAC. The President was loud and clear in saying that he will never abolish NTF-ELCAC. Under his leadership, the Task Force will press on until it accomplishes the mission of winning the peace for our people," Año said.
Meanwhile, Philippine Army 3rd Infantry Division (3ID) commander Maj. Gen. Marion Sison said the NTF-ELCAC has been instrumental in improving the peace and security situation in Western and Central Visayas.
Sison said it helped realize infrastructure development and quick impact projects that open socio-economic activities in Geographically Isolated and Disadvantaged Areas (GIDAs).
"By far, ELCAC is seen as the most effective approach to ending the decades-long insurgency, particularly in 3ID's area of responsibility,” he said in a statement.
“It brings everyone, including government agencies, local government units, various sectors, and the whole populace to the table to discuss and provide solutions to address the root causes of insurgency.”
The NTF-ELCAC, created by virtue of Executive Order 70 signed by former president Rodrigo Duterte in December 2018, is tasked to “provide an efficient mechanism and structure for the implementation of the whole-of-nation approach to aid in the realization of collective aspirations for inclusive and sustainable peace.”
The BDP is a hallmark program of NTF-ELCAC with the end goal of bringing development to former conflict-prone communities.
It initially identified 822 villages nationwide to receive PHP20 million each for farm-to-market roads, classrooms, water and sanitation systems, health stations, and livelihood projects. (With reports from Perla Lena/ PNA)
