CEBU CITY, March 13 (PIA) -- A total of P3.5 billion worth of government projects for armed conflict affected areas in Central Visayas have been included in the proposed 2021 projects, activities and programs (PAPs) for national government agencies, said the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG-7).

DILG-7 Regional Director Leocadio Trovela presented the various PAPs covered by the proposed budget during the Regional Task Force on Ending Local Communist Armed Conflict (RTF-ELCAC) technical working group (TWG) meeting on March 11, 2020.

Two hundred of the total 260 submitted PAPs will be covered by the P3.5-B budget, he said.

These projects will be presented to the joint Regional Development Council - Regional Peace and Order Council (RDC-RPOC) meeting later this month for endorsement.

National Economic Development Authority 7 (NEDA-7) Regional Director Efren Carreon lauded the efforts of the TWG in coming up with the proposed PAPs which translates to its commitment to end local communism armed conflict by the end of 2021.

The budget is categorized to three types of development projects - Economic, Social, and Infrastructure.

Among these, the infrastructure projects received the biggest chunk at P3-B.

Projects under the infrastructure development include farm to market roads, construction of waiting sheds, and barangay health centers, among others.

Assistant Secretary Anthony Gerard Gonzales of the Office of the Presidential Assistant to Visayas (OPAV) expressed to the body that it has the full support and guidance of Sec. Michael Lloyd Dino, the Cabinet Officer for Regional Development and Security (CORDS) for Central Visayas.

"The whole-of-nation approach envisioned by President Rodrigo Duterte will not only use the full force of law to push the insurgents to lay down their arms but also to win their minds and hearts with honest to goodness public service," Gonzales said as he presided the TWG meeting.

The identified PAPs will be implemented in identified ELCAC areas in the region, specifically in the cities of Canlaon and Guihulngan and towns of Santa Catalina, Siaton, Valencia and Zamboanguita, all in Negros Oriental.

Among those six local government units (LGUs), Guihulngan City has 72 included PAPs amounting to P1.3-B, the most among the budget.

It can be noted that Guihulngan City is one of the hotspots of armed conflict in the region, including the recent ambush attempt of rebels last week.

Heads of the TWG member agencies will be visiting several armed conflict areas soon to deliver what the Duterte administration has promised: good governance, infrastructure projects, and social services. (JKTM/PIA7)