Over 1, 098 local officials and national government agencies in the Province of Zambales and Olongapo City actively took part in the "Barangay Levelling Session on the Localization of Executive Order No. 70 or the "Whole-of-Nation" approach on June 4, 2021 via zoom meeting platform—to enjoin the local officials in fighting insurgency by creating and providing inclusive public service starting from the grass root level.

 The activity was facilitated by the Provincial and City Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (P/CTF-ELCAC) of Zambales and Olongapo City headed by Hon. Hermogenes E. Ebdane Jr. and Hon. Rolen C. Paulino, Jr., respectively, in partnership with the National and Regional Task Force.

The said undertaking was co-facilitated by DILG Zambales and DILG Olongapo City led by Provincial Director Armi V. Bactad and City Director Amada T. Dumagat, respectively as the TF ELCAC Secretariat which aimed to cascade down to the barangay level the fullest understanding of the EO 70, as well as the "Knowing the Enemy (KTE)" Framework and to provide experience for a Joint Planning and Alignment of Strategies across Task Forces, among others.

The participants were comprised of provincial, city, municipal and barangay TF-ELCAC members.

In his message, Governor Ebdane emphasized the need to better understand the approach required in order to harmonize the efforts of the national task force with the local task forces down to the grassroots level.

"If I am not mistaken, there are actually twelve (12) factors involved in a counterinsurgency efforts, but of course, what we must first do is to understand the problem, come up with a right government response, which starts with good governance, and of course the 'whole-of-nation' approach employing all government resources in resolving the problem. Because I believe that insurgency in our country is really a political problem that needs political solution," Governor Ebdane said.

Ka Angel, National Cadre of the NTF-ELCAC, Local Government Monitoring and Evaluation Division (LGMED) Assistant Division Chief/ LGOO VI Aldwin B. Reyes and Local Government Capability Development Division (LGCDD)/ LGOO V Paolo Israel Franco of DILG Regional Office 3 and Zambales Provincial Legal Officer/ Atty. Roman Antonio of the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) served as resource persons during the activity and discussed the Counter Terrorist Groups (CTGs) Framework and EO 70 and 12 National Cluster Framework, respectively.

Likewise, the Zambales Provincial TF-ELCAC showcased the task force's significant accomplishments per cluster, ways forward and sectoral mobilization as presented by Engr. Edwin Ebdane, OIC Provincial Planning and Development Coordinator.

National Security Advisor's representative/Deputy Director General Rufino S. Lopez, Jr., NTF Deputy Director for Operations LTC Mario Jose Chico (Ret), and NTF ELCAC Executive Director/Secretary Allen Capuyan also graced the said activity.

Executive Order No. 70 was issued by President Rodrigo Duterte in December 2018 to establish a whole-of-nation approach in ending local communist armed conflict through the creation of a national task force (NTF) that will take the lead in institutionalizing a national peace framework.