THE Army's 53rd Infantry "Matapat" Battalion (IB) is providing security to ensure the continuity and completion of the farm-to-market (FMR) road in Labangon village, Dumingag, Zamboanga del Sur.
The Labangon FMR is a seven-kilometer road opening project of Dumingag Municipal Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (MTF-Elcac) in partnership with 53IB and Army's 551st Engineer Battalion (551EBn).
The road project will link the Labangon village to Tutukan village of the same municipality.
Lieutenant Colonel Jo-ar Herrera, 53IB commander, said the Elcac project needs to be sustained in order to prevent the resurgence of the communist Party of the Philippines-New People's Army (CPP-NPA) terrorists in Labangon village.
"Sustainment is the key. This FMR is a vital component to bring government services to the people of this geographically isolated and disadvantaged barangay," Herrera said.
Labangon village is included in the government's Barangay Development Program, the flagship program of Elcac, which was conceptualized to finally address insurgency by bringing sustainable solutions and basic services to communities in need.
The village of Labangon was declared "clear" of CPP-NPA influence on May 19, 2020, through the Army's Community Support Program. (SunStar Zamboanga)