TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol, June 6 (PIA) -- The Office of the Governor here has recently issued Executive Order No. 28, series of 2023 stating that the two bishops in Bohol along with the Special Action Committee of the Provincial Peace and Order Council (PPOC) will serve as the advisory group of the Provincial Task Force (PTF) to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (ELCAC).

The Bishop of the Diocese of Tagbilaran and the Bishop of the Diocese of Talibon would serve as part of the advisory group of the Task Force ELCAC.

The governor sits as the PTF Chair with the Vice Governor as the Vice Chair with all the national government agencies in Bohol represented by their heads, non-government organizations, and sectoral representatives as members.

It also effectively reorganized and reconstituted the PTF ELCAC.

Moving in line with former President Rodrigo Duterte’s Executive order No 70, series of 2018 which created the National Task Force ELCAC, Aumentado aims to unify and simplify the task force by harmonizing the local and national task force’s programs for peace and development.

Overall, the reorganization is a reiteration of war renunciation as a state policy, while asserting that the maintenance of peace and order, the protection of life, liberty and property and the promotion of the general welfare for the enjoyment of communities in democracy, is the state’s mandate.

The reorganized and reconstituted PTF ELCAC will have a support team in intelligence with the Philippine Army’s Task Group Bohol and the Provincial Police Office; public information support with the Philippine Information Agency and the Provincial information and Media Office (PIMO); Legal Support with the Provincial Legal Office and the Integrated Bar of the Philippines in Bohol; and Finance and Logistics Support with the Provincial Budget Office, Provincial Accountant’s Office and the Provincial treasurer’s Office.

The PTF ELCAC also has a Sub Task Force on Socio-Economic Development (TF SED) tasked to implement its various developmental initiatives.

These are composed of Situational Awareness and Knowledge Management Cluster with the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency, Task Group Bohol and the BPPO, the Local Government Empowerment Cluster with the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) as lead.

Under the sub TF SED is the Legal Cooperation Cluster led by the Provincial Legal Office, Strategic Communication Cluster with PIMO, Sectoral Unification and Capacity Building and Empowerment Cluster with the Department of Labor and Employment, Basic Services Cluster with the DILG Bohol and the Poverty Reduction and Livelihood and Employment Cluster with the Provincial Cooperative Development Office.

The Sub TF SED also has Infrastructure, Resource Management and Employment Cluster with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Public Works and Highways, Provincial Engineers Office, General Services Office, Environment and Management Office.

Then there is the Localized Peace Engagement Cluster under the DILG which has the Local Peace Engagement Team and the Local Peace Panel, the Peace and Law Enforcement and Development Support Cluster under Task Group Bohol and the Bohol Police; the Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program and Amnesty Program under the DILG and the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the International Engagement Cluster under the Governor’s Office, Bohol Employment and Placement Office and the Center for Culture and Arts Development.

In the EO, the Provincial Cooperative Development Office is the main vehicle for cascading the component programs, projects and activities of the PTF to the rural communities or puroks via its community organizing and development mechanism in mobilizing communities to ELCAC.  (RAHC/PIA7 Bohol)