By Lilibeth French
Department of Environment and Natural Resources 6 Regional Executive Director Livino B. Duran recently revealed some of the “big ticket” programs that the national government provided and sustained to help uplift the lives of the people in Western Visayas.
Duran identified these projects when he delivered a message on behalf of Environment Secretary Roy A. Cimatu, Cabinet Officer for Regional Development and Security (CORDS), during the launching of the Barangayanihan Caravan Towards National Recovery at Brgy. X-Estado, Victorias City, Negros Occidental, September 30 this year.
Some of these projects are the solar energy in Cadiz City, Negros Occidental, considered as the biggest in the whole of South East Asia; wind energy in the provinces of Guimaras and Aklan; and the hydropower projects in Antique, Iloilo and Aklan. These projects are also considered as sources of renewable energy.
Duran also highlighted the Jalaur River Irrigation Project in Calinog, Iloilo and the proposed Panay River Irrigation Project in Capiz.
He added that the bridge that will soon link the island of Panay to Guimaras and Negros Island will hopefully follow and shorten the travel time from Iloilo to Negros Island passing thru Guimaras.
The clean-up and rehabilitation of Boracay Island after it was tagged as a “cesspool” by no less than President Rodrigo Roa Duterte was also mentioned by Duran.
He commended Cimatu as CORDS was tapped to lead the challenge of bringing back the lost glory of the island and he did it exemplarily. Boracay Island is earning billions of pesos in revenues just like what the whole province of Aklan is earning for the same period.
On the other hand, a total of 3,467 hectares of bamboo plantations were established where hundreds of members of People’s Organization’s families benefited under the National Greening Program.
Duran also emphasized the very essence of the Barangayanihan Caravan which is to highlight the success of the government in bringing real change to the lives of the Filipino people in terms of poverty reduction, infrastructures, and peace and order.
He said “Ending Local Communist Armed Conflict is considered as one of the major thrusts of this government, thus, Executive Order (EO) 70 was issued pushing for a whole of nation approach with all line agencies and mechanisms of the government to work and act as one.”
As of 2019, the data of National Task Force-End Local Communists Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) showed that 74 barangays in the region were identified as cleared and considered as Retooled Community Support Program (RCSP) barangays that qualified and availed of the Local Government Support Fund – Support to Barangay Development Program (LGSF-SBDP) intended for the realization of the conflict-free barangays’ plans and programs amounting to P20 million each or a total of P1.48 billion worth of programs and projects.
The caravan was marked by the distribution of food packs and conduct of medical mission and other services of participating national government agencies benefiting around 200 residents of Brgy. X-Estado. (DENR 6/PIA-Iloilo)
