The Negros Occidental provincial government launched on Tuesday the “Serbisyo Negrosanon” to implement the Retooled Community Support Program (RCSP) and further empower local government units (LGUs) in achieving peace and development.
The program launching and caravan of services spearheaded by the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) was hosted by the Municipality of Isabela led by Mayor Irene Montilla.
Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson said the RCSP is appropriate and suitable in the quest of the province to strengthen the community support initiatives of the government.
“As your governor, I welcome the (program) as a great opportunity to address the root causes of local armed conflict and tensions by prioritizing the delivery of basic services and social development assistance, and in facilitating the participatory initiatives of all sectors,” Lacson said in his message of support during the program at the Isabela Socio-Cultural Center.
The governor, who chairs the Provincial Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (PTF-ELCAC), acknowledged the road to peace is a long one and that internal socio-political stability rests upon healing the rifts that divide the nation by promoting participatory governance and the whole-of-nation approach for the attainment of inclusive and sustainable peace.
“With this updated program (RCSP), the LGUs are now more empowered and more pivotal than ever in the protection and in the furtherance of development of our conflict-affected communities. We will be able to work directly on the issues and needs identified by the community itself, making the government’s effort more responsive to the needs of the community,” he added.
DILG Assistant Secretary for Peace and Order Manuel Felix, who led the officials from the department during the event, stressed the importance of the cooperation of the community and the government in the attainment of peace and progress.
Regional Executive Director Francisco Milla Jr. of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources-Western Visayas represented Secretary Roy Cimatu, who sits as the Cabinet Officer for Regional Development and Security of Region 6 (Western Visayas).
The RCSP is a convergence of mechanism for LGUs, particularly in the barangay, in identifying the issues and needed government interventions. It is anchored on the empowerment framework that intends to develop people’s capability to organize themselves and own development by bringing about value-chain interventions to uplift their current conditions.
During the activity, hundreds of residents of Isabela and neighboring towns and cities availed of government services such as medical and dental services, legal services, skills and livelihood training, enrolment in the Negros Occidental Comprehensive Health Program, and other services from the participating government agencies. (PNA)
