DILG: Only 1% of NTF-ELCAC's brgy projects completed but program still 'on time'

The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) on Monday justified the P16 billion worth of projects for 822 communist-free barangays even if only 1% of these projects have been completed thus far.

DILG Secretary Eduardo Año defended the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) after the Senate slashed its proposed budget for 2022 over its failure to provide details on the progress of its Barangay Development Program (BDP).

Aside from the budget cut, lawmakers -- as well as Vice President Leni Robredo -- have called for NTF-ELCAC's abolition, saying that provision of such development programs are already provided by other government agencies.

Based on Año's presentation made before President Rodrigo Duterte, only 31 of the 2,318 projects or 1% of the NTF-ELCAC's BDP have been completed.

"The budget for this will expire in December 2022, so these projects are still on time," Año said during Duterte's pre-recorded Talk to the People aired on Tuesday.

"The people will benefit from these projects before your term ends. This is the key to addressing poverty and putting an end to  insurgency in our country," he told Duterte.

Based on Año's report, 1,031 of the 2,318 projects, or 44%, have been procured while 661, or 29%, are ongoing.

The projects include: farm-to-market roads, barangay health stations, school buildings, water sanitation, rural electrification, other infrastructure for reconstruction, rehabilitation and repair, housing projects, agricultural and livelihood and assistance to indigent Filipinos. —KBK, GMA News