DANILO Pamonag, the new executive director of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-Elcac), said it is crucial to institutionalize peace and development gains in former conflict areas to prevent a resurgence of communist insurgency.
Pamonag laid out his direction for the task force during the turnover ceremony, calling for closer coordination among government agencies, local government units, security forces, civil society and communities.
“The finish line is within our sight, but the final steps require our highest level of passion, integrity, and hard work,” Pamonag said.
“We must remain proactive and agile in serving the people, so that no Filipino child will ever again grow up in the shadow of armed conflict,” he added.
He said lasting peace should go beyond the absence of armed encounters and should be reflected in improved access to government services, education, infrastructure and livelihood opportunities in communities previously affected by conflict.
Pamonag identified unity, peace and development as the three pillars of his approach.
He said the NTF-Elcac would strengthen the whole-of-nation approach by deepening coordination between national agencies and LGUs, breaking down institutional silos and maintaining the presence of joint regional task forces and national clusters in vulnerable and historically isolated communities.
He called for long-term development programs to ensure that roads, schools, health services and economic opportunities become permanent features of cleared communities.
Pamonag said the government should transform former conflict areas into communities where residents have access to opportunities comparable to those available in urban centers.
“Let us transform former conflict zones into vibrant centers of opportunity and hope. Let us walk this path together,” he said. Pamonag thanked his predecessor, Ernesto Torres Jr., for his help in weakening armed insurgency, empowering local executives and steering the campaign toward good governance.
"You have left behind a solid foundation upon which we will continue to build," he told Torres.
National Security Adviser and NTF-Elcac Vice Chairman Secretary Eduardo Oban Jr., who presided over the turnover ceremony, supported Pamonag's direction and challenged the task force to institutionalize peace interventions into the machinery of government.
