By Alec Go
Malacaῆang on Tuesday (Nov. 16) said it stands by the Department of the Interior and Local Government’s (DILG) appeal to bring back the slashed budget for the Barangay Development Program (BDP).
Acting Presidential Spokesperson and Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles said they are also asking the Senate to reconsider its budget cut decision for the rehabilitation of barangays previously used as guerilla fronts.
“Unang-una, there cannot be peace without development. There cannot be any development without peace. They go hand in hand po. Alam po ng ating mga mabuting senador ‘yan,” Nograles said in his first briefing.
“Pinag-uusapan natin dito ang mga kababayan natin na matagal na pong umaasa dito sa mga proyektong ito,” he added.
The BDP is the “hallmark program” of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) for “sustainable rehabilitation and development” of barangays cleared of Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army-National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF).
In his report to President Rodrigo Duterte on Nov. 15, DILG Sec. Eduardo Aῆo said it will be a huge loss for BDP beneficiaries if its implementation is halted due to a budget reduction.
“Ilang dekadang salat sa tulong at kalinga ng pamahalaan ang mga komunidad na ito, kaya marapat lamang na ibuhos natin sa kanila ang mga programang aalalay sa ating mga kababayang makabangon mula sa kahirapan,” he said.
LOOK: Status of SBDP projects as of Nov. 15, 2021 pic.twitter.com/Qzke5VaKtJ
— PTVph (@PTVph) November 16, 2021
As of Nov. 15 this year, only 31 out of 2,316 Support to the Barangay Development Program (SBDP) projects have been completed, while 1,031 are under the procurement stage, and 661 are undergoing construction.
The total allocated budget valid until December 2022 for all the nationwide projects amounts to P16.44 billion. # – bny
