BACOLOD City – The city of San Carlos, located in the northern part of Negros Occidental, recently conducted a series of service caravans in remote villages for the implementation of the Retooled Community Support Program (RSCP).
Mayor Renato Gustilo led the holding of the immersion activity in Barangay Codcod on Feb. 22, which came after the launching of the RSCP through a service caravan in the village on Feb. 3.
“This is the right time to air your sentiments to the government so it can act especially on the projects for the development of your community,” the mayor said to some 200 participants from various sub-villages during the gathering. It was also attended by representatives of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG).
He also assured the residents that the city government will support these projects and allocate funds with assistance from the provincial and the national governments. The people just need to be patient and trust them.
“Only the government has the capacity to help solve the problems in (your) community, not the armed group of rebels,” he added.
According to Local Government Operations Officer Steve Yap, the DILG will also lobby for the funding of the identified projects.
For his part, Codcod village head Danilo Lastimoso expressed his appreciation to both the city government and the DILG for conducting the immersion activity.
It gave assurance to the people that the government is serious in its commitment to bring change and to include them in the development process, he said.
Among the concerns and needs raised by the community were farm-to-market roads, electrification, water supply, health center facility and the benefits for senior citizens.
The city government also brought the service caravan to Barangay Guadalupe on Feb.12, in Barangay Buluangan on Feb. 10, and it was also held in Barangay Nataban on Feb. 7.
On Jan. 21, the Negros Occidental provincial government launched the “Serbisyo Negrosanon” to implement the RCSP with a caravan of services hosted by the municipality of Isabela.
The RCSP was formulated to strengthen its forerunner, the Community Support Program (CSP), which was an initiative of the military, and also to initiate efforts driven mainly by the local government.
It supports the whole-of-nation approach embodied in Executive Order 70, which formed the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict, and led to the adoption of a National Peace Framework.(With a report from PNA/PN)
