MISOR ONBOARD IN ENDING INSURGENCY, CREATES
ELCAC TASK FORCE
Committing to support to EO 70 operationalization, otherwise known as the “Whole-of-Nation Approach,” Province of Misamis Oriental sets to organize its own Provincial Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (ELCAC).
This is one of the resolutions approved during the conduct of the Joint Provincial Peace and Order Council (PPOC), Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council (PDRRMC) and Provincial Anti-Drug Abuse Council (PADAC) Special meeting, July 30.
Issuing a memorandum dated July 12, 2019 on the creation and functionality of said task force, Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Regional Director Arnel M. Agabe commends Province of Misamis Oriental for the prompt action.
“We need this kind of support to finally put an end to this 50-year long insurgency problem in our country,” he said. “Also, it is essential that our local government units, with the support of our government agencies, know the best interventions and initiatives that would be responsive to our objectives.”
Meanwhile, during the said meeting also, Brig. General Edgardo De Leon provided updates on the Executive Order 70, elaborating on its 12 clusters namely: (1) Local Government Empowerment, (2) International Engagement, (3) Legal Cooperation Cluster, (4) Strategic Communication, (5) Basic Services, (6) Livelihood and Poverty Alleviation, (7) Infrastructure and Resource Management, (8) Peace and Development, (9) Localized Peace Engagement, (10) E-CLIP and Amnesty Program, (11) Situational Awareness and Knowledge Management Cluster, and (12) Sectoral Unification, Capacity building and Empowerment.
“The Whole-of-Nation” Approach
Otherwise known as “Institutionalizing the Whole-Of-Nation approach in attaining inclusive and sustainable peace, creating a national task force to end local communist armed conflict, and directing the adoption of a national peace framework,” EO 70 addresses the root causes of insurgencies and other armed conflicts and threats by prioritizing and harmonizing the delivery of basic services and social development packages by the government.
Further, it looks into facilitating societal inclusivity, and ensuring active participation of all sectors of the society in the pursuit of the country’s peace agenda.
RD Agabe emphasized that, “When we say Whole-of-Nation approach, all other stakeholders, not only the military and the police, not only those in the government, but including those in the community are included in this mission.”
In Northern Mindanao, out of 798 barangays identified as conflict-affected areas, provinces, cities, municipalities and barangays, 27 barangays are from the Region.
Moreover, two of these barangays are from Misamis Oriental. With this, DILG Misamis Oriental Provincial Director Marisia C. Naybe urged these barangays to prioritize the creation and functionality of the said local task force.
“We urged our local officials to take part on this mission as we remind that they should be able to create their task force before August 31, 2019,” she said.