SAN FERNANDO, Bukidnon, Feb. 13 (PIA) -- "Reaching the unreached even in the most challenging situation is the key to ending poverty. Through this RCSP, in coordination with the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), we will empower individuals so that everyone becomes a channel of peace," said Mayor Levi Edma as he lauds the government for initiating such effort as part of its move in ending insurgency.

The undertaking, known as Retooled Community Support Program (RCSP), seeks to contribute to poverty reduction and mobilize the marginalized and the poor who are often left out from economic growth and other opportunities that would somehow provide them an avenue to generate income.

In his speech, Edma emphasized the need to assess the communities' current situation to identify and prioritize the delivery of government services.

"With these activities, we are one step closer to attaining lasting peace in San Fernando," he said.

The mayor sent the RCSP core teams off to Nala sub-village from San Fernando municipal and barangay local government. It is composed of three teams namely Basic Delivery of Services (BDS) Team led by Municipal Health Officer Dr. Maria Algerlina Edma; the Citizenship and Community Participation (CCP) Team led by the Municipal Environment and Natural Resources Officer Romero Navaja; and the Peace, Law Enforcement and Development Support (PLEDS) Team led by the 88th Infantry (Maringal) Battalion and Police units in the area.

Right after the send-off ceremony, the three teams headed to Sitio Nala where residents gathered at the community covered court to welcome the RCSP core teams who will be immersed in the area.

During the program, Sitio leader Roel Mahinay reported that the people of Nala, mostly farmers, are in utmost need of a Health Worker and Health Center; farm-to-market roads; availability of Day Care Center; additional teachers and classrooms for high school; livelihood training; solar dryer; senior citizen benefits; release of tenurial instruments and land titling, including residential lot survey; and the most important project that villagers want to be prioritized-access to safe drinking water.

As a result, reports on the presence of unregistered motorcycles and vehicles, and the proliferation of gangs in the community were tackled during the discussion of PLEDS Team and Sitio leaders.

The CCP Team also identified social issues such as registration of established People's Organization as well as birth registration of IP residents.

The mayor initiated this 'working group' to sustain the initial gains made by CSP Team deployed earlier in the area.

He said the deployed teams would help in setting things up to address some issues exploited by the New People's Army (NPA) on enticing new rebel members.

After the immersion at Sitio Nala, the RCSP teams conferred at San Fernando townhall for feedbacking, evaluation of issues identified per team, sharing of lessons learned, documentation of necessary things needed to address problems presented, and actions to be taken in preparation for the 1st RCSP Summing-up scheduled before this February ends.

Col. Ferdinand T. Barandon, 403rd Brigade Commander said, "We are doing this to deradicalize the community. It is high time that we should combine our efforts to end communist insurgency in San Fernando and to develop and transform these conflict-affected areas into resilient communities. We will finish this once and for all."

He explained that the RCSP would help enhance a community-driven approach that will allow beneficiaries to collectively identify, prioritize, plan, and implement their development needs, which is in support to the government's whole-of-nation approach to End Local Communist Armed Conflict or ELCAC as specified in President Rodrigo Duterte's Executive Order No. 70. (Rene Belmonte Jr, CMO 403rd Bde, Norven Jay Garcia, 88IB, PA/PIA Bukidnon)