BALBALAN, Kalinga (PIA) - - The Provincial Task Force on End Local Communist Arm Conflict (PTF-ELCAC) continues to reach out to ELCAC barangays bringing basic services and revisiting their Barangay Development Plans (BDP) aimed   at adopting doable proposals for assistance.

In Balbalan, the Department of the Interior and Local Government-led team conducted community consultation at  barangay Poswoy on January 24 and in  Balantoy on Jan. 25  where  some priority needs proposed in their  respective BDPs   are  adopted for implementation by concerned  PTF-ELCAC member-agencies and the provincial and municipal  local government units.
 
The PLGU and MLGUs  also  pledged to fund a number of proposals from the shopping list of projects identified in the BDP  while  national agencies will look into   projects aligned to their mandate. Small projects are retained to the barangay LGU to implement.

Priorities in both barangays are the opening of roads to their different sitios, improvement of existing roads, and construction of vehicular bridges that will link the barangay to the main road network.

For this year, the improvement of the Balantoy-Dao-angan-Poswoy-Ababaan road is absorbed under the DPWH-Upper Kalinga District Engineering Office and the Department of Trade and Industry working arrangement ROLL IT convergence program or the Roads Leveraging Linkages of Industries and Trade with funding allocation of P114 million in support of coffee processing industry, home styles industry (basketry and softbroom making) and food processing industry.

Another is the on-going improvement of the Balantoy-Maling municipal road connecting to Pinukpuk-Balbalan national road and to serve also as a link to the Uguid Subterranean River tourism site with P10M funding in support to the furniture and food processing industries of communities.

UKDEO District Engineer Teodoro Owek said both road projects are funded and implemented on a multi-year scheme.
 
DTI is also extending its services through its established Negosyo Center in the municipality and to provide livelihood to ELCAC barangays.

DSWD, on the other hand, will provide Balantoy P300,000 worth of PAMANA projects under its Sustainable Livelihood Program.

Aside from the fund contributions the province will allocate, Governor James Edduba donated P100,000.00 for the construction of a sanitary toilet with water tank for Capas Elementary School in Poswoy. He also pledged to donate to Balantoy another P100,000 worth of project to be identified by the community.

Meanwhile, Provincial DILG Director Anthony Manolo Ballug who facilitated both consultations agreed with the communities to refer to the Office of Civil Defense the proposed flood control projects; to the National Irrigation Administration listed communal irrigation systems projects, and to the Department of Agriculture the planned Bulo-Kilayon-Ligayan farm-to-market road.
   
 Malannag, in behalf of the LGU, welcomed implementation of various projects identified in both BDPs. He committed to extend to the conflict affected barangays in his municipality the necessary assistance.

Simultaneous  with community consultation was the conduct of outreach activities through convergence of services by different stakeholders. Free services provided were medical check-up, sugar count, circumcision, haircut, tooth extraction, dental fluoridization, COVID-19 vaccination, distribution of IEC materials, and IEC on PTF-ELCAC member services.
 
Participating groups were the Provincial and Balbalan LGUs, the Kalinga Medical Society, Kalinga Police Provincial Office, 50th Infantry Battalion, 1st and 2nd Kalinga Mobile Force Companies, Bureau of Fire Protection, Balbalan Municipal Police Station, Balbalan Municipal Health Office, Western Kalinga District Hospital, DILG, DTI, DSWD, NCIP, NIA, PIA and other volunteers.
 
Poswoy Punong Barangay Rosendo Gocal expressed his gratitude to the group saying: “Daytoy ti kaunaan nga nakita mi nga nagtitipun ti taga gobyerno nga umay mangted serbisyo iti ili mi. Umapal kami idi naammuwan mi nga kastoy ti maar-aramid ti dadduma nga barangays. Ket kuna mi umay da kuma met ditoy. Sunga dakkel ti panagyaman mi ta inyumay yu iti serbisyo nga kasapulan mi ken nadingngeg yu ti dawat mi.” (This is the first time we witness a gathering of government workers coming together to render various services to us. We envied other barangays upon knowing you have conducted outreach mission to them, we have been longing for the same activity to happen for our community. We are very much thankful that at last, you are here to bring us your services and listen to our pleas”, he said. (JDP/PAB-PIA CAR, Kalinga)