The Joint Regional Task-Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (JRTF-ELCAC) SOCCSKSARGEN Region held its 1st Quarter Full Council Meeting for CY 2024 at the Grand Summit Hotel in General Santos City on Monday, April 1, 2024.
The activity aims to provide the JRTF-ELCAC XII a direction in the implementation of the NTF-ELCAC’s Whole of Government interventions and Whole of Society participation towards the promotion of Good Governance. The NTF-ELCAC is crafting a medium-term Roadmap that will ensure a path to unity, security, inclusive and sustainable peace and development throughout the President’s term.
During the meeting, DILG Sultan Kudarat Provincial Director, Margarita H. Baynosa, was present at the event on behalf of the OIC Regional Director, Atty. Rochelle D. Mahinay-Sero, CESE, to show the Department's support and commitment to the JRTF-ELCAC XII in achieving sustainable peace and development in Region 12.
The meeting was graced and presided over by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Secretary, Maria Antonia Yulo-Loyzaga, designated Cabinet Officer for Regional Development and Security (CORDS) for SOCCSKSARGEN, and JRTF-ELCAC XII Chairperson.
Sec. Loyzaga acknowledged the efforts and support of the local officials and members of the Regional Peace and Order Council (RPOC) XII and Regional Development Council (RDC) XII headed by Honorable Governor Reynaldo S. Tamayo, Jr. of the Province of South Cotabato and Honorable Governor Emmylou J. Taliño-Mendoza of the Province of Cotabato, respectively.
She also extended her heartfelt gratitude to the previous CORDS, TESDA Secretary Isidro S. Lapeña for his unwavering dedication, commitment, and hard work in leading the Task Force initiatives. She recognized as well the effective partnership of the previous Tri-Secretariat composed of DILG XII, NEDA XII, and TESDA XII. “Let us work together and contribute to ending, once and for all, local communist armed conflict under the administration of His Excellency President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr.”, she concluded.
Along with Sec. Loyzaga is the Undersecretary for Organizational Transformation and Human Resource, MGen. Augusto D. Dela Peña and NTF-ELCAC Executive Director Usec. Ernesto Torres, Jr.
After the approval of the Provisional Agenda, DILG Dose’s LGOO VI Ian Jon S. Clemente, Assistant Division Chief of the Local Government Monitoring and Evaluation Division (LGMED), presented the CY 2022 and CY 2023 milestones and accomplishments of JRTF-ELCAC XII.
He emphasized the SOCCSKSARGEN Regional Development Plan (RDP) 2023–2028 Strategy Framework, which highlights the JRTF–ELCAC XII Line-of-Efforts' contribution as one of the cornerstones and overarching strategies in socio-economic transformation for a prosperous, inclusive, and resilient region
towards the attainment of the AmBisyon Natin 2040 of having a Matatag, Maginhawa, at Panatag na buhay in 2040.
The functionality and operationalization of the Joint RTF-ELCAC XII as directed under Executive Order No. 70 series of 2018, are among the region’s strategies in implementing the whole-of-the-nation approach toward the attainment of its vision to become a peaceful, safe, resilient, and highly competitive SOCCSKSARGEN Region, the Agro-Industrial Center and Agri-Eco-Cultural-Tourism Hub in Southern Philippines by 2045.
Engr. Geoffrey Villaga, the SBDP Alternate Focal Person, updated everyone on the progress of the Local Government Support Fund to Support Barangay Development Program (LGSF-SBDP) implementation later on. During the aforementioned activity, significant information was shared, including the status of the FY 2021-2023 SBDP projects, focusing on the FY 2021 terminated SBDP projects and the FY 2023 ongoing SBDP projects, as well as the list of planned FY 2024 SBDP projects.
As a result of the presented updates on SBDP, the body has passed and approved a resolution endorsing the FY 2024 LGSF-SBDP of the 90 priority barangays of Region 12 amounting to Php 225,000,000.00.
With all the inputs shared and discussed during the full council meeting, the members of the RPOC XII, RDC XII, and JRTF-ELCAC XII have passed a total of 8 resolutions and reached a total of 9 agreements/instructions.
