Presidential Assistant for Eastern Mindanao Secretary Leo Tereso Magno underscored during the Joint Regional Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (ELCAC 11) Meeting at the Apo View Hotel on Wednesday that countryside development should continue as this is seen as among the best approaches in countering insurgency in the Davao Region.
He said in achieving this, the help of the private sector is vital as the government has a limited budget in all of its efforts such as ensuring security and development in the region.
“We should increase the tapping of the private sector dahil ang pribadong sector din naman ang susuporta. All the efforts of the government may limitation yan because of the limited budget of the government kailangan natin ng tulong galing sa private sector para mas malawak ang magawa at mas maraming taong maabot kung may suporta sa private sector,” Magno said.
Magno cited the concerns raised during the Joint Regional Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (ELCAC 11) Meeting, wherein among them are implementing developments and providing livelihood to the community especially the former rebels (FRs).
“It was mentioned in the presentation that there are projects line up in Davao Region and we are monitoring the percentage of their implementations. Trabaho natin mag monitor to ensure na tuloy tuloy ang lugar kung saan hindi developed dati kaya ang mga tao ay hindi nila ramdam ang presensya ng gobyerno. Kailangan natin ituloy ang development sa countryside,” Magno said.
He said when there is peace in the area, developments will follow.
“Walang negosyanteng mag-i-invest sa isang lugar na magulo. Ayaw na ayaw ng pribadong sector pumasok sa isang lugar na walang peace and order. When there is peace, when there is development, diyan papasok ang mabuting buhay para sa mga tao sa lugar na iyon,” he said.
The meeting was graced by Vice President and Education Secretary Sara Duterte and attended by the officials of the local government units (LGUs), education sector, police, military, peace players, and the Office of the Presidential Assistance to Eastern Mindanao (OPAMINE).
