Manila, Aug. 23 -- The National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict's (NTF-ELCAC) Barangay Development Program (BDP) must be expanded to more communities after significant progress was recorded across more than 5,000 covered barangays, according to National Anti-Poverty Commission Secretary Lope Santos III.

In a statement Sunday, Santos said poverty incidence in many local government units has already dropped below 20 percent, leaving fewer municipalities in the highest 29 percent bracket.

"This shows the BDP has been a vital vehicle for poverty reduction," he said. "The BDP should be expanded -not reduced. We must connect more barangays to main roads, telecommunications, and electricity to bring development to lowland, up...