By Sarwell Meniano
TACLOBAN CITY – The Philippine Army announced on Thursday the completion of two government initiatives in Magsaysay village, a secluded community in Las Navas, Northern Samar, formerly plagued by the New People’s Army.
The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG)-Northern Samar provincial office, alongside the municipal task force to end local communist armed conflict, spearheaded the turnover ceremony for a health station and a classroom in the village, totaling a project investment of PHP4 million.
These projects under the Support to the Barangay Development Project (SBDP) have been identified by residents during the retooled community support program, a convergence mechanism for local governments in the village to identify issues and needed government interventions, according to Lt. Col. Richard Villaflor, acting commander of the Army’s 20th Infantry Battalion.
The projects were funded under the 2021 appropriations.
“This is a result of the collaborative efforts of stakeholders in fostering inclusive progress in Las Navas. These projects are significant in shaping the community’s future,” Villaflor said.
Magsaysay village is known for violence perpetrated by the armed rebels.
The last was on June 23, 2023, when two road workers were killed when rebels detonated an anti-personnel mine.
Las Navas is one of the recipients of SBDP, with seven completed projects under the 2022 funding in five villages and a total grant of PHP24 million.
These projects align with the government’s whole-of-nation approach seek to foster collaboration among diverse sectors to address insurgency challenges and foster sustainable peace and development. (PNA)
