Focal and alternate focal persons on Localizing Executive Order 70 (LEO 70) from the Provinces of Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani, South Cotabato and Cotabato Province gathered recently at the DILG Regional Office XII Conference Room in order to prepare for the necessary adjustments and approaches to counter the influence of insurgent groups in local communities of Region XII.  

This development came as the additional list of target barangays for the Region was released. DILG XII Regional Director Josephine Cabrido-Leysa, CESO III informed that there were 1,325 target barangays as the 2020 nationwide target of which Region XII has 103 identified barangays.  This includes the original 63 target barangays and the additional 40 barangays which were added by the National Task Force (NTF) on ELCAC to be targeted for CY 2020.” This “translates to adjustments, as far as our implementation plans and programs are concerned considering that DILG XII heads five (5) Line of Efforts (LOE) clusters, including the Local Government Cluster.”

Director Leysa, in an earlier statement recalled that “the advocacy on Ending Local Communist Armed Conflict (ELCAC) has been sustained by the Department” and all the adjustments are in place as a way of ensuring that all the efforts toward the realization of insurgent-free communities will not be paralyzed, even during the dark days of Covid 19 pandemic.

DILG XII LEO 70 Regional Focal Person Ian Jon S. Clemente, who acted as the facilitator for the said meeting, requested all the attendees to facilitate LGUs’ formulation of catch up plans and commitments for LEO 70 deliverables.

“There has to be extra efforts from our end to be able to gain more ground and maintain the momentum we have gathered. The meeting we just had is our way of getting your assurance that the target PPAs for CY 2020 relative to the implementation of the LEO 70 is in place,” Mr. Clemente concluded.