IPINAG-UTOS ni Pangulong Ferdinand Marcos Jr. na itaas ang Barangay Development Fund sa ilalim ng National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) mula P2.5 million sa P7.5 million kada barangay.
Sinabi ni National Security Council (NSC) Assistant Director-General Jonathan Malaya na ang kabuuang P4.32 billion karagdagang budget ay mapakikinabangan ng 864 barangay na recipient ng Barangay Development Program ng NTF-ELCAC para ngayong taon.
“The President was not happy with the original P2.5M per barangay in the 2024 General Appropriations Act (GAA) so he ordered the Department of Budget and Management to allocate the additional funds for this year. He said that P2.5M will hardly make an impact in terms of development so he ordered the augmentation,” ang sinabi ni Malaya sa isang kalatas.
Tinuran ni Malaya, ang halaga ay nanggaling mula sa unprogrammed funds ng National Treasury.
Sinabi pa ni Malaya na nagpahayag ang Pangulo ng pagsuporta na itaas ang pondo sa P10 million kada barangay sa 2025 budget, na ngayon ay sumasailalim sa deliberasyon ng Senado.
“The President noted that the [National Expenditure Program] allocated P10M per barangay for the next batch of recipient barangays next year and he hopes Congress will ensure that the final version of the 2025 GAA reflects this amount,”ang sinabi ni Malaya.
Samantala, sinabi ni Malaya na inaprubahan ni Pangulong Marcos ang rehabilitasyon ng Batong-Buhay – Colayo Road sa Pasil, Kalinga, na gagamit ng pondo mula sa PAMANA program ng Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity (OPAPRU).
Inaprubahan din ng Pangulo ang paglikha ng National Action Plan for Unity, Peace and Development sa ilalim ng NTF-ELCAC para isulong ang isang national peace framework.
“Under Unity, the government will advocate for positive peace and for programs to denounce violent extremism.
Under peace and security, LGUs will take lead in peacebuilding to ensure that the CPP-NPA-NDF will be unable to operate, infiltrate or influence any area of the country,” ang winika ng NSC.
“Under socio- economic development, the Barangay Development Program will be continued in collaboration with LGUs. Once implemented, the end result are conflict- resilient and empowered communities nationwide,” ang sinabi pa rin nito.
