The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Region XII, true to its commitment to win back communities and people under varying degrees of CTG’s influence or affectation, conducted the two-day CY 2020 Retooled Community Support Program (RCSP) Clustered Roll-Out Orientation at Greenleaf Hotel, General Santos City on February 11-12, 2020.
The said activity was attended by Director Marlo Guanzon, Ph.D, of the Public Affairs and Communication Service (PACS) of DILG Central Office, Regional Director Josephine Cabrido-Leysa, CESO III of DILG XII, Mayors of T’boli, South Cotabato Province, Columbio and Senator Ninoy Aquino of Sultan Kudarat, and representatives from the RCSP Teams of South Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, General Santos City and Kidapawan City.
RD Leysa formally opened the event with her profound appreciation to those who provided unceasing, consistent and tireless support of the LGUs in Region XII to the said program. Further, a new list of priority target barangays for the Retooled Community Support Program (RCSP) was released. She instructed all LGUs concerned to include in their action plans relevant programs, projects, activities, and services in line with the RCSP goals.
Director Guanzon of PACS briefed the local chief executives and RCSP Teams on the Mission, Mandates, and Structure of the NTF- ELCAC at the National, Regional, Provincial, City/Municipal, down to the Barangay Level, along with the updates on the steps that have been taken in the implementation of E.O. 70 through the collaboration of the different NTF/RTF Member-Agencies and concerned LGUs through renewed and strengthened services of the said government agencies and LGUs.
Mr. Ian Jon Clemente, Assistant Chief of DILG XII-LGMED, presented the RCSP’s Phases and Timelines with the recommended Action Points for the participating LGUs. He emphasized the importance of being guided with the scheduled timelines to properly implement the RCSP and ensure that all its goals are materialized and sustained. He stressed-out that short-cuts are not allowed and that the phases must be followed step by step. He further highlighted that the key factor to end the decades-long communist rebellion is through the implementation of good governance and the promotion of social justice.
Ms. Jermie Erie-Yeager, OIC Chief of DILG-LGCDD, presented the RCSP Immersion Work Plan, barangay profile and the issues-and-solution identification which, once again, highlighted the primary issues on land ownership, limited job and livelihood opportunities, and inadequate funding for farm inputs. Among the secondary issues included, but were not limited to, the lack of irrigation system, absence of solar dryer and lack of material recovery facility.
One significant unresolved issue that was brought up once again during the activity, is the overlapping tenurial instruments in ancestral domain claims and the ensuing land conflict. It was later recommended that the matter be brought up to the Regional Task Force on Ending Local Communist Armed Conflict (RTF-ELCAC) XII for the appropriate action to be done by the concerned NGAs.
Among the other matters that need to be addressed is the budget for the implementation of RCSP which had been proposed to be shared by the LGUs from the barangay level. In essence, barangays which lack financial capacity will be subsidized by the municipality or city which they belong to. Subsequently, if the municipal or city LGU will not be able to support the expenses, then the Provincial LGU has to step in. NGAs will have to provide the needed assistance for unmet needs/ unavailable resources in case these LGUs funds are already depleted.
The most productive and active part of the event was the Action Planning by the RCSP Teams from the various LGUs in Region XII. Team members presented their draft Action Plans for critiquing and finalization. It was agreed during the activity that the duly approved RCSP Action Plans will be submitted to DILG 12 not later that February 14, 2020. Further, the RCSP Teams agreed that the updated BDPs will be submitted to DILG 12 not later than April 30, 2020.
