The Armed Forces of the Philippines has constructed P120 million worth of infrastructure projects in Negros island, military records show.

This is part of its bid to help national and local governments in the delivery of basic services in upland barangays, especially in conflict areas.

Lt. Col. Noel Ditoito, 542nd Engineering Construction Battalion commander, yesterday said that, of the 89 infrastructure projects constructed by his unit worth P120 million, 46 have already been completed, while 39 more are under construction.

Ditoito said the projects include the construction of school buildings and health centers, paving of farm-to-market roads, water system and electrification projects.

The recipients of Kalayaan sa Barangay Projects were the upland areas of Silay, Talisay, E.B. Magalona, Don Salvador Benedicto, Cauayan, Ilog, Kabankalan and Candoni in Negros Occidental, Amlan, Pamplona, Sibulan, Vallehermoso, Siaton, Zamboaguita and Santa Catalina in Negros Oriental.

Brig. Gen. Francisco Cruz, Armed Forces of the Philippines Civil Relations Service chief, said the KBP has been recognized as a milestone in the AFP’s nation-building efforts to transform conflict-affected communities into peace and development communities.

“The KBP embodies the ideals of the Filipino nation of peace, development and solidarity, and its continuity is our vow to the people,” Cruz added.

The National Development Support Command of the AFP headed by Lt. Gen. Nestor Ochoa has been tasked to implement KBP in the countrysides, through its Army engineers.

NADESCOM has launched a total of 1,750 KBP projects in 801 barangays across the country since 2005, 120 of which were consigned to Camarines Sur alone, military records also showed.

Cruz said the AFP has spent P2.4 billion for infrastructure projects in conflict-affected areas of the country, since 2005.

He added that they take their role in national development very seriously. He said their soldiers, don’t just build ordinary schools, roads or health centers, they build communities.

Maj. Eugenio Julio Osias IV, head of the CRS Media Affairs Group, said the projects put primacy on education. A total of 552 of the projects involved school buildings. Second in line were farm-to-market roads, with 442 projects.*GPB

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