Davao Oriental: The Poverty Reduction and Livelihood Employment Cluster of the Regional Task Force –ELCAC of Region XI led the launching of its different activities conducted at Barangay Maragatas, Municipality of Lupon, Province of Davao Oriental last Wednesday.
Technical Education Skills Development Authority Director General Secretary Isidro Lapeña led the launching with the support and presence of the Davao Oriental Provincial Task Force (PTF) with its chairperson Davao Oriental Governor Nelson Dayanghirang.
Barangay residents were tapped to receive skills training and livelihood programs provided by the TESDA specifically prioritizing IP/GIDA communities. Barangay Maragatas has been identified as the top barangay in Davao Oriental that still has strong community support for the members of the New People’s Army (NPA).
“This activity is showing you the commitment of the government to reach out and serve the people. The PRLEC Cluster of the RTF-ELCAC is one of the 12 clusters that should always go to the barangays and provide assistance and services so the people will have livelihood and employment to lift the people from poverty,” Lapena told the attendees of the said gathering being the chairperson of the PRLEC Cluster of the National Task Force-ELCAC.
Davao Oriental Governor Nelson Dayanghirang who is also the Regional Peace and Order Council Chairperson of Davao region urged the residents in the said barangay to give the government a chance to provide the services they needed and cooperate with the government in ending local communist armed conflict.
This led the government to consolidate government services from both national and local governments including the assistance of the private sector to ensure that the barangay will feel the services of the government and thereby end their provision of support to local communist group.
Both national and local government offices provided services such as medical consultation to about 92 Persons With Disability (PWDs), provision of poultry chicken, cacao and coffee seedlings including planting materials, plastic drums for mango growers, tilapia fingerlings; distribution of PWD identification cards; pre-identification and presentation of microenterprise projects for qualified proponents; as well as a Consultation Forum on Project Identification.
Davao Oriental Provincial Task Force Focal Person Ednar Dayanghirang announced that the three core clusters of the PTF-ELCAC responded to the call of the PTF and rent over services needed by the community.
“We made sure that the infrastructure cluster is activated because we all believe that the road to peace is the road itself. We got the commitment of the concerned agencies like the DPWH, the NIA to ensure the construction of road in every sitio of Barangay Maragatas,” said Dayanghirang.
The RTF XI – ELCAC continues to implement programs and activities that would end local communist armed conflict by practicing the whole of government approach. (PIA XI/FGM)