BANGUED, Abra – At least seven remote barangays in Abra will soon have better healthcare access through infrastructure projects under the Support to Barangay Development Program (SBDP) of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC).

Six health stations in Barangays Pang-ot, Nanangduan, Villavieja, Dintan, Bolbolo, and Tikitik, all in Pilar town, are under construction to benefit about 3,000 residents of the municipality.

The ongoing upgrading of the Cuda-Caocaoayan farm-to-market road (FMR) in the municipality of Luba will also help bring programs including healthcare services closer to at least 385 residents in the far-flung barangay of Lul-luno.

“The projects funded under the Support to Barangay Development Program spearheaded by the NTF-ELCAC geographically isolated and depressed areas (GIDAs) mark a pivotal moment in the region’s pursuit of equitable healthcare they deserve,” said director Araceli San Jose  of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Cordillera.

She explained that these infrastructure projects will expand healthcare delivery in the indigenous communities of beneficiary barangays. The health stations will be venues for regular medical consultations, immunizations, health education programs, medical missions, and outreach activities, among others.

Pilar Mayor Tyron Christopher Beroña emphasized the importance of the health structures to ensure a stable environment conducive to progress.

“By focusing on healthcare improvements and community empowerment, we are setting the groundwork for a better future for Pilar, where our constituents thrive and contribute to the progress of our community,” he said.

Meanwhile, residents of Barangay Lul-luno are optimistic that the FMR will not only connect farmers to the market, but will also help improve access to healthcare.

Teams from the DILG regional and Abra provincial offices are monitoring these projects to ensure quality and compliance with set standards and timelines.

The SBDP is a banner program of the NTF-ELCAC that provides funds for conflict-affected and vulnerable barangays to implement priority projects identified by the communities. This program is part of government efforts to promote development with the goal of ending  insurgency, and  attaining  inclusive and sustainable peace in the country. (JJPM-PIA Abra)