In a concerted effort to eradicate insurgency, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Region 2, in coordination with the Office of Secretary Alfredo E. Pascual and DILG Region 2, convened the ๐—ฅ๐—ฒ๐—ด๐—ถ๐—ผ๐—ป๐—ฎ๐—น ๐—ง๐—ฎ๐˜€๐—ธ ๐—™๐—ผ๐—ฟ๐—ฐ๐—ฒ ๐˜๐—ผ ๐—˜๐—ป๐—ฑ ๐—Ÿ๐—ผ๐—ฐ๐—ฎ๐—น ๐—–๐—ผ๐—บ๐—บ๐˜‚๐—ป๐—ถ๐˜€๐˜ ๐—”๐—ฟ๐—บ๐—ฒ๐—ฑ ๐—–๐—ผ๐—ป๐—ณ๐—น๐—ถ๐—ฐ๐˜ (๐—ฅ๐—ง๐—™-๐—˜๐—Ÿ๐—–๐—”๐—–). The joint meeting, held at the DTI R2 Conference Hall in Tuguegarao City, Cagayan, on February 16, 2024, served as a pivotal platform for evaluating accomplishments and discussing strategies for enhanced efficiency. It was also held in preparation for the conduct of a meeting of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF ELCAC) to be presided over by the president.

In the meeting, Undersecretary Ana Carolina P. Sanchez delivered a message on behalf of Secretary Alfredo E. Pascual who is the Cabinet Officer for Regional Development and Security (CORDS) for Region 2. She emphasized the importance of an integrated, multifaceted approach to address national issues. Usec Sanchez further urged partner line agencies to collaborate at the grassroots level, stating, “We need to go province by province, city by city, and town by town until no one is left behind.”

The meeting was presided over by ARD Winston T. Singun representing the Technical Working Group (TWG) chair, RD Leah Pulido Ocampo, and facilitated by the Secretariat from the DILG. The main parts of the meeting included an orientation on the communist armed conflict for government executives, a presentation of the economic situation by NEDA, a peace and order situation by the Philippine Army, and accomplishment reports of the different RTF2 ELCAC clusters by the secretariat. Notable participants included representatives from the DILG, NEDA, NICA, PIA, DOJ, TESDA, DA, DPWH, Philippine Army, PNP, and representatives of the provincial governors of the region.

With Secretary Pascual’s designation as the CORDS for Region 2, DTI R2 automatically assumes the role of the TWG chair. As such, its expanded mandate extends beyond promoting trade, investments, and entrepreneurship, encompassing regional safety and stability. The joint meeting highlighted the commitment of various agencies to collaborate in the pursuit of lasting solutions to the nation’s challenges.

Date of release: 22 February 2024