By Francis Allan L. Angelo
One of the richest barangays in Iloilo City will receive PHP20-million worth of projects from the AFP’s National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC).
But the boon also has its “bane.”
Recipients of NTF-ELCAC’s Barangay Development Fund are barangays that were “cleared” of the influence of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) and its alleged front organizations.
In the case of Ingore village in LaPaz, it was identified as a “white area,” or a community where alleged front organizations of the rebel movement are active and thriving.
Ingore is considered one of the richest barangays in Iloilo City as it hosts four power plants owned by Global Business Power Corp. The barangay gets a share from electricity produced by the power plants apart from the real property and business taxes paid by the energy producer.
Major Cenon Pancito III, spokesperson of the Army’s 3rd Infantry Division told Aksyon Radyo-Iloilo that apart from Ingore, barangays Dungon A, Dungon B, and Tacas in Jaro and Sinikway and Lapuz Norte in Lapuz will also receive PHP20-million each from the task force.
While he is happy with the PHP20-million boon, Punong Barangay Jonathan Jalandoni said he was surprised that his community was considered a “rebel affected area.”
Still, Jalandoni said he will make use of the NTF-ELCAC funds for the construction of new schools, water systems, and livelihood programs.
Earlier, it was reported that two towns in Iloilo province will receive hundreds of millions in pesos from the budget of NTF-ELCAC.
According to data from the Department of Budget and Management’s Local Budget Circular No. 135 series of 2021, Western Visayas will get PHP1.48-billion from the task force’s PHP16.4-billion budget this year.
Iloilo province is among the top provinces that will get money from NTF-ELCAC with 42 barangays getting PHP20-million each for the so-called Barangay Development Program.
The towns of Tubungan (PHP300-million) and Leon (PHP280-million), two rebel-influenced areas in Iloilo, are also in the top 10 city/municipal beneficiaries of the task force.
Escalante City in Negros Occidental is also a top 10 beneficiary with a PHP280-million allocation.
According to the budget circular, the money will be spent on the following:
-Farm-to-market roads
-School buildings
-Water and sanitation system
-Health stations
-Rural electrification
-Reconstruction, rehabilitation, repair, in preparation and response to natural and man-made disasters
-Housing
-COVID-19 vaccination and other health projects
-Technical skills training programs and projects
-Assistance to indigent families
According to a Rappler report, Davao region is set to receive most of the funds with PHP4.3-billion.
Davao City, the hometown of President Rodrigo Duterte, will receive PHP1.64-billion on its own after 197 local government units (LGUs) were identified as recipients.
The funds have been criticized by budget experts and some lawmakers as being akin to giving pork barrel to generals of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, as the barangays were chosen by the NTF-ELCAC.
NTF-ELCAC under the AFP has been criticized for allegedly red-tagging or linking certain personalities, groups and institutions to communist rebels.
