P35M b’gay funds released in Mt Prov

HAPPY WEEKEND

Gina Dizon  

SAGADA, Mountain Province – Funds don’t just land in the coffers of a local government unit. It takes identification, proposals and follow-up to make funds come through.  

For northern Sagada barangay-beneficiaries  of a P35 million PAMANA  projects-  farm to market roads, health centers, water facilities, school buildings- released to the local government unit of Sagada started with  the barangay captains’ identification of their  desired community projects  with military men from the 501st Brigade of the 5th Infantry Division particularly  from the  54rth Infantry Battalion stationed in Mountain Province.    

Col. Miguel Puyao  of the 501st Infantry Brigade and  said  the development  fund given for the northern barangays  started with the identification of barangay officials of their community projects with the government military forces in 2010.

The PAMANA projects or Payapa at Masaganang  Pamayayan implemented under the office  of the presidential assistant on peace process (OPAPP)  is  earlier called Kalayaan sa Barangay (KBP), a  program of  the  Armed Forces of the Philippines in conflict areas then under the  national  leadership of  former president  Gloria  Macapagal Arroyo.

With intention to fight insurgency and  help  communities where conflict abounds  between  government forces and   rebels,  the national government provides funds for farm to market roads, waterworks and community infrastructure through the presence of military elements in particular areas.

The northern barangays of  Bangaan, Madongo, Aguid, Fidelisan  had been an area where  both the military  and the New Peoples Army pass through the same pathway  going towards  adjacent Abra. It was in the late 80s when fierce fighting happened  atop Mt Sisipitan  located just above the  northern  villages  bringing fear among the people to go out and  tend to their   farms.

Puyao said the Sangguniang Bayan of Sagada followed up  the barangay initiated projects and on the process  with the 501st Brigade then headed by  Gen. Rommel Gomez , the latter having  coordinated with the Department of National Defense  and the  OPAPP for the programming of development funds.  

To include Sagada as a PAMANA beneficiary considering  its history of being  a conflict area between   the NPA and members of  government   military forces, resolution  No 01-2010 was  passed by the Sangguniang  Bayan  headed by vice mayor Richard Yodong of  the  local government  unit of  Sagada.  

Additional SB resolutions 145-2011, 156-2011 and 157-2011  identified farm to market  roads at  Aguid and  northern barangays  and  personally handed to  Gomez  and regional  director  Marilyn Sta Catalina of  the regional office of the Department of  Agriculture to firm up  earlier  identified projects.