Gov. Arthur Yap emphasized the importance of the National Task Force-Ending Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) program in a virtual forum on Nov. 22, 2021, according to a report from the Provincial Information and Media Relations Office (PRIMER).
In the said forum, the governor gave his opinion regarding the reduction of the budget of the said program, where the governor expressed his apprehensions.
It has been reported that in the Senate, there have been moves to reduce the NTF-ELCAC program’s budget for 2022.
The governor said that the NTF-ELCAC has been a huge help in keeping peace and order via improving critical infrastructure such as roads in remote barangays in the province.
There are several projects under the said program that have benefitted the livelihood of some Boholanos and the continuation of the program will be severely affected if the NTF-ELCAC’s budget will be reduced, the governor said.
Yap added that he is hopeful that the plan to reduce the NTF-ELCAC budget will not push through.
Earlier, the Sangguniang Panlalawigan Committee on Peace and Order chairman Ricky Masamayor said that reducing the budget of the NTF-ELCAC will impair the effort of the government to curb communist insurgency in the country.