Eastern Visayas governors seek ‘equalization fund’

TACLOBAN CITY—Governors in Eastern Visayas have proposed to the national government to grant them an “equalization fund” to help address the insurgency problem in their provinces.

The creation of the fund, proposed during the governors’ meeting with National Security Adviser Clarita Carlos in Tacloban City on Nov. 11, would allow the provinces to build more roads in known rebel lairs and for poorer local governments to fund projects against insurgency, said Eastern Samar Gov. Ben Evardone.

“The body has agreed to have the need of equalization funds to poor provinces, municipalities and barangays as well as to help address other needs like roads and health centers,” said Evardone, who made the proposal during the meeting.

He added: “This will be a big push in our efforts to finally end the communist problem in our area.”

He said they proposed that the grant would be stopped or changed once the insurgency problem was completely addressed.

Evardone said it has to be an “equalization fund” since poor provinces like those in Eastern Visayas get less shares from national tax allotment than their rich counterparts and are unable to provide projects needed to address poverty and other concerns that fueled insurgency.

Much to be done

In Samar, Gov. Sharee Ann Tan said there was still so much to be done even if the insurgency problem in her province was “becoming weak,” mainly providing livelihood to rebel returnees.

Leyte Gov. Jericho Petilla said Leyte has been cleared of communist insurgency but would support the creation of an equalization fund to ensure that villages in his province that were recovered from the control of New People’s Army (NPA) would not fall back into the hands of the rebels.

Carlos said she agreed with the governors’ proposal and would relay the matter to President Marcos.

Timetable

Eastern Visayas, particularly the provinces of Eastern Samar, Northern Samar and Samar, continue to deal with insurgency problems.

Maj. Gen. Camilo Ligayo, the commanding officer of the Philippine Army’s 8th Infantry Division, said during the meeting that they hoped to crush the insurgency problem in Eastern Visayas, one of the poorest regions in the country, before the end of the year, even as four of the five existing guerilla fronts in the country were in Northern Samar.

“We are in a better position compared to two years ago. We have reduced the number of guerilla fronts and cleared several [NPA-influenced] barangays. We are hoping that before the end of this year, we can clear [all the remaining barangays under the influence of the rebels],” Ligayo said. INQ