The Department of Agriculture – Cordillera (DA-CAR) chaired the first quarterly meeting of the Regional Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict – Poverty Reduction, Livelihood, and Employment Cluster (RTF-ELCAC-PRLEC) today, April 8, 2025 at the City Travel Hotel, Kisad, Baguio City.

The cluster aims to develop self-reliant, productive, resilient, and sustainable communities through harmonized and culturally responsive development programs.

16 regional line agencies presented updates and accomplishments of their completed and ongoing programs, projects, and activities (PPAs) for the first quarter of the year.

The PRLEC supports beneficiaries from barangays cleared of local armed conflict by providing livelihood assistance aimed at reducing poverty incidence and preventing the recurrence of conflicts. In the Cordillera region, 153 barangays were cleared of armed conflict by the National Task Force-ELCAC.

For the first quarter, DA-CAR has already provided a total of Php 4.1 million worth of agricultural interventions to 16 cleared barangays, benefiting 4 individuals and 26 farmer cooperatives and associations. The province of Apayao received support for heirloom rice production amounting to Php386,830, while Abra received Php400,000 in support for sugarcane production and processing. Furthermore, Ifugao was awarded with organic livelihood projects worth Php899,000.

Meanwhile, Kalinga was provided with Php356,000 worth of agricultural inputs, and Mountain Province received the same intervention amounting to Php213,000. The province was also the top recipient of the Rice Farmers Financial Assistance.

The meeting also covered discussions on scheduling the next quarterly meeting and submission of monthly reports, designation of focal persons, and other PRLEC matters.