DILG Goes Full Throttle in Normin Peace Initiatives, Turns Over P7.5-M Water System Projects in Bukidnon Town

As the whole-of-nation approach in attaining inclusive and sustainable peace goes full throttle in Northern Mindanao, the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) recently turned over two water system projects with an aggregate total of P7.5-million in Barangay Iba, Cabanglasan, Bukidnon.

DILG Assistant Secretary for Peace and Order Manuel B. Felix and DILG 10 Regional Director Arnel M. Agabe led the ceremonial turnover of Level III Water System in Crossing Mainaga and the Ground Reservoir of Cabanglasan Water District with One Unit Production Well to Punong Barangay Reynard O. Encarguez and the Sangguniang Barangay members.

“Residents in Barangay Iba and neighboring areas will now have easier access to water supply with the completion of these two projects. We hope that through these, more and more rebels will be encouraged to go back to mainstream society once they realize that the government is indeed working for them,” Felix said.

Asec. Felix said that the ceremonial turn-over was part of the kick-off activities of the Regional Task Force in Ending Local Communist Armed Conflict (RTF-ELCAC) 10 in localizing Executive Order No. 70, s. 2018 known as Institutionalizing the Whole-of-Nation Approach in Attaining Inclusive and Sustainable Peace, Creating a National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict, and Directing the Adoption of a National Peace Framework.

RD Agabe also explained that the Department’s goal in the inclusive and sustainable peace interventions includes the delivery of safe, and reliable water supply among other locally-funded projects.

“We can only achieve lasting peace when people in the community are contented, happy, and healthy,” Agabe said.

Funded through the DILG- Bottom-up Budgeting (BuB) Program, the P2.5-million water system project in Sitio Mainaga now provides individual water meters to 39 households in the barangay. The Local Government of Cabanglasan also provided 29 additional units of water meter for the said project to reach more household residents.

Meanwhile, the P5-million BuB-funded ground reservoir of Cabanglasan water district with one unit production is expected to serve 2,500 metered connections once it becomes fully functional under the management of the Cabanglasan Water District.

In the same event, 24 former rebels in Bukidnon province also received a financial assistance package ranging from P15,000 to P105,000 each depending on the benefits entitled to them through the Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program (E-CLIP). (DILG PR)