NTF-ELCAC Welcomes Sustained ₱10M per Barangay Funding Proposal in 2026 National Expenditure Program

August 14, 2025

The National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) welcomes the inclusion of ₱10 million per barangay for the Barangay Development Program (BDP) in the proposed 2026 National Expenditure Program (NEP). This allocation, totaling ₱8.1 billion for 808 barangays nationwide, reaffirms President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr.’s unwavering commitment to inclusive development and sends a clear message: no community will be left behind.

This funding is far more than infrastructure. It represents a vital investment in peace, dignity, and opportunity for communities historically marginalized and impacted by conflict. The BDP, our flagship transformation program in barangays cleared of CPP-NPA-NDF influence, delivers essential services long denied: farm-to-market roads, classrooms, health stations, water systems, electrification, and more. It gives people the tangible foundation for a better future, ensuring the government’s presence is felt where it matters most.

While we celebrate this proposal, we acknowledge the NEP requires Congressional approval. History shows the final appropriation in the General Appropriations Act (GAA) can be reduced – as seen in 2025, where only ₱2.5 million per barangay was approved. The cost of neglecting these communities is far greater than the cost of development. To safeguard hard-won peace, NTF-ELCAC successfully advocated for an additional ₱5 million per barangay this past year. We cannot afford to step back now.

Therefore, our call is unequivocal: Congress must approve the full ₱8.1 billion for the BDP. Protecting this investment is essential to accelerate the integration of former conflict zones into the nation’s progress, replacing isolation with genuine opportunity.

We anticipate the CPP’s predictable criticism. However, their attacks on the BDP only further distance them from the people. The undeniable reality on the ground is transformation: communities are rising from poverty, livelihoods are strengthening, and dignity is being restored through BDP projects. This tangible progress speaks louder than any propaganda.

Aligned with the National Action Plan for Unity, Peace, and Development (NAP-UPD), the BDP directly tackles the root causes of insurgency – poverty, lack of services, and social injustice. While all 89 communist guerrilla fronts have been dismantled, our work is not complete. Closing the development gap remains the most urgent and sustainable strategy to prevent conflict resurgence.

Every road paved, every classroom built, and every family empowered through the BDP moves us closer to making armed rebellion a relic of the past. Our mandate is clear: communities liberated from conflict must never be abandoned. We remain committed to programming the remaining BDP barangays for 2027 and 2028, ensuring we truly leave no community behind.

Undersecretary Ernesto C. Torres Jr.

Executive Director, National Secretariat

National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict