NTF-ELCAC: Over P44B invested in cleared barangays

More than 16-million residents across 5,638 barangays formerly influenced by communist insurgents have benefited from P44.90 billion in government development investments from 2021 through 2026, transforming once-vulnerable areas into centers of peace and public service, the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) reported Thursday.

The interventions fulfill the objectives of Executive Order (EO) 70 by delivering infrastructure such as roads, schools, electricity, potable water and health facilities to geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas previously exposed to the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army-National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF).

As of October 2026, 33,381 barangays across 62 provinces have attained Stable Internal Peace and Security (SIPS) status.

Of that total, 21,204 barangays across 45 provinces belong to nine entire regions already under full SIPS status, while 12,177 barangays in 17 provinces, cities, and municipalities are located in regions progressing toward full compliance.

Data from the Department of the Interior and Local Government as of 13 October 2026 show that the task force’s flagship Barangay Development Program — supported through the Local Government Support Fund — has funded 1,592.85 kilometers of farm-to-market roads, 964 classrooms, 23,763 streetlights, 1,178 water and sanitation systems, 9,343 electrification projects, and 551 health stations.

The whole-of-nation strategy, launched in December 2018 under EO 70, integrates security operations with socioeconomic development to eliminate the poverty and inadequate infrastructure that communist groups historically exploited for recruitment.

“Expanding SIPS coverage reflects the continuing constriction of CPP-NPA-NDF armed influence and the growing capacity of local governments and communities to sustain peace, security, and civilian governance,” said executive director Undersecretary Danilo Pamonag.

Development funding continues in 2026 with an allocation of P8.08 billion designated for projects in more than 800 insurgency-cleared barangays.

The task force cited that while SIPS status marks a major security milestone, sustaining these gains requires ongoing government presence, institutional efficiency, and grassroots economic opportunities under the National Action Plan for Unity, Peace and Development, which institutionalizes the framework established by EO 70.