By Nimfa L. Estrellado-Laurino Officials release white doves during the declaration of Calabarzon as the country's first insurgency-free...
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| Officials release white doves during the declaration of Calabarzon as the country's first insurgency-free region at the Quezon Convention Center in Lucena City on Independence Day. (Quezon PIO) |
LUCENA CITY, Quezon - The Philippines' campaign against communist insurgency reached a major milestone on Independence Day as Calabarzon became the first region in the country to be declared insurgency-free. The recognition follows years of security operations, development programs and local government initiatives across the region's five provinces.
Government officials, military leaders and local executives gathered at the Quezon Convention Center in Lucena City on June 12 for the declaration of Stable Internal Peace and Security (SIPS) status for Region IV-A. The event coincided with the country's 128th Independence Day celebration.
Department of the Interior and Local Government Secretary Juanito Victor “Jonvic” C. Remulla Jr. and Quezon Gov. Angelina “Helen” Tan led the awarding of the SIPS Seal to Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon. Remulla personally conferred the regional seal on Tan and the Regional Peace and Order Council (RPOC) Calabarzon.
Calabarzon is one of the country's most populous and economically active regions. The recognition places renewed attention on whether similar results can be achieved in areas where insurgency remains a security concern.
Regional recognition became possible only after all five provinces maintained their individual SIPS status through separate validations conducted over several years. The achievement elevated Calabarzon from a group of insurgency-free provinces into the first insurgency-free region in the country.
Calabarzon's recognition followed a sequence of provincial declarations over several years. Cavite received SIPS status in 2018, followed by Laguna in 2019, Batangas in 2021, Quezon in 2023 and Rizal in 2024.
Those gains did not result from military operations alone but from coordination among government agencies, security forces and local communities. Programs supporting livelihoods, infrastructure development and local governance accompanied security efforts in affected areas.
SIPS status is granted to areas where insurgency-related threats have been neutralized and where government services and economic activity can proceed without disruption from armed conflict. The designation remains subject to continued monitoring and validation.
Local officials described the recognition as the culmination of years of security and development efforts. Several provinces in the region previously faced insurgent activity in remote and geographically isolated communities.
Tan said the campaign succeeded because local governments worked directly with communities affected by conflict. She said authorities focused on addressing conditions that allowed unrest to persist.
“Ang suliranin ng insurgency na naka-ugat sa mga laylayan ng pamayanan ay tinugunan natin ng malawakang konsultasyon at kolaborasyon sa pagitan ng mga mamamayan, mga sektor, at ng lokal na pamahalaan upang masigurong matatag ang pundasyon ng bawat lungsod at bayan. Ang sama-samang pagkilos na ito ang nagbigay-daan sa pagkamit ng kapayapaan at kaunlaran sa buong rehiyon.”
Tan said the milestone carries responsibilities that extend beyond recognition and ceremonial honors, particularly in safeguarding the peace achieved across the region. She said peace can only endure through continued cooperation among government institutions and communities.
“Isang karangalan po ang tanggapin ang Plake ng Deklarasyon ng Stable Internal Peace and Security bilang simbolo ng ating hindi matitinag na paninindigan sa pagsusulong ng mapayapa at ligtas na Region 4A Calabarzon kung saan ang bawat mamamayan ay pinangangalagaan ang karapatang mabuhay nang walang takot mula sa anumang anyo ng karahasan o kriminalidad. Ito ay sumasalamin sa sama-samang pagkilos ng iba't ibang sektor upang mapanatili ang kaayusan at seguridad sa ating rehiyon.”
Remulla said insurgency continues to affect communities where economic opportunities and public services remain limited. He argued that addressing those conditions is essential to preventing conflict.
“Ang ugat ng insurgency ay hindi nagsisimula sa karahasan kundi sa hindi pantay na laban ng mga tao. Hindi sila makapag-aral, hindi sila makahanap ng kabuhayan at nahihirapan silang harapin ang kanilang pang-araw-araw na buhay kaya doon nagsisimula ang problema.”
The interior secretary said the next challenge is sustaining peace through economic opportunity and public trust. He said communities become stronger when people believe they have a stake in their future.
“Ang mga tao po ay ating pahalagahan at bigyan ng pagkakataong magtagumpay. Kapag pantay ang laban ng bawat mamamayan at nagkakaisa ang mga tao, nagiging mas matatag ang buong bansa.”
Provincial leaders signed a memorandum of agreement renewing their commitment to maintain peace and security across the region. Representatives from Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon also renewed support for programs intended to preserve security gains and prevent the resurgence of insurgent activity.
The ceremony concluded with a renewed commitment from local governments, security forces and national agencies to sustain peace across the region. The focus now shifts from achieving insurgency-free status to maintaining the conditions that made it possible.
The recognition marked the end of a long campaign against insurgency across Calabarzon's five provinces. It also marked the beginning of a new test: whether the region can preserve the stability that allowed it to become the first in the country to achieve insurgency-free status.
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