BANGED, Abra – Some P770 million worth of Payapa at Masaganang Pamayanan (PAMANA) projects were implemented by the government in the six provinces of the Cordillera over the past five years.
In a report to the Regional Peace and Order Council (RPOC) in the Cordillera, the regional office of the Department of the Interior and Local government (DILG-CAR) reported there were some 68 projects that comprise the funds that were coursed through the agency over the past five years to help alleviate the condition of former conflict-stricken areas.
In 2012 there were 20 projects funded with over P50 million, followed by 12 projects in 2013 with a budget of 211.80 million, but no funds were released for the region for similar projects in 2014.
In 2014 the government earmarked some P124 million for the 12 projects equitably distributed to the six provinces, while in 2016 there were 24 projects allocated a funding of some P386.5 million for the Pamana projects regionwide.
The Pamana projects were described to be mostly opening of road networks linking various areas that were identified to be conflict-stricken communities in the past to help provide local residents with access to better developed areas in the different parts of Abra, Apayao, Benguet, Ifugao, Kalinga, and Mountain Province.
Based on the report, most of the funded projects were completed while some of the projects are either on-going, delayed, or terminated for various reasons not resolved by the concerned implementing agencies and the local government.
The DILG-CAR report was based on the accomplishments of concerned government agencies as of October 31, 2017 considering that some of the implemented projects were carried over to this year due to delays in the completion of the works that were programmed for the improvement of access to the countryside.
The RPOC-CAR chaired by Baguio City Mayor Mauricio G. Domogan commended the DILG-CAR for its satisfactory performance in the implementation of various projects that were funded under the government’s PAMANA program considering that numerous remote villages were able to benefit from the programmed infrastructure projects beneficial in improving the living condition of the people who were affected by the previous conflicts between government forces and the communist rebels over the past several decades.
The RPOC-CAR urged the concerned government agencies to work out the necessary mechanisms that will contribute in facilitating the completion of on-going infrastructure projects while finding the appropriate solutions to funded projects that were suspended for various reasons and for the immediate re-bidding of projects that were terminated with due course.
The funds for the PAMANA projects were the initiatives of the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace process (OPAPP) that were coursed through the DILG for implementation by the agency in coordination with the concerned local governments and the beneficiary communities regionwide.
By HENT
