Calabarzon becomes first insurgency-free region on Independence Day

By Nimfa L. Estrellado-Laurino Officials release white doves during the declaration of Calabarzon as the country's first insurgency-free...

By Nimfa L. Estrellado-Laurino

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 - For the first time since the government began declaring areas free from insurgency, an entire Philippine region has achieved the designation. Calabarzon received insurgency free status on Independence Day after all five of its provinces secured and maintained Stable Internal Peace and Security (SIPS) recognition.

In Lucena City, Department of the Interior and Local Government Secretary Juanito Victor “Jonvic” C. Remulla Jr. presented the regional SIPS Seal to Quezon Gov. Angelina “Helen” Tan and the Regional Peace and Order Council Calabarzon during the June 12 ceremony. The awarding formally recognized Calabarzon as the first region in the country to achieve insurgency free status.



The recognition places Calabarzon at the center of the government's peace and security campaign as other regions continue efforts to attain the same status. It also raises the stakes for local governments tasked with preserving the conditions that led to the region's recognition.

Remulla and Tan led the awarding of the SIPS Seal to the provinces of Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon. The ceremony formed part of the country's 128th Independence Day celebration.

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.

The June 12 program also included the ceremonial signing of a memorandum of agreement supporting the regional SIPS declaration. Provincial leaders from Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon pledged to sustain peace and security initiatives across Calabarzon.

Those gains did not result from military operations alone but from coordination among government agencies, security forces and local communities. Local governments implemented livelihood, infrastructure and governance programs alongside security operations in affected communities.

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.

The declaration coincided with the country's 128th Independence Day celebration. Organizers said the event highlighted the region's efforts to maintain peace and security while strengthening local governance.

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.

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 paninindigan para sa isang mapayapa at ligtas na Calabarzon. Patunay ito ng sama-samang pagkilos upang mapanatili ang kaayusan at seguridad sa rehiyon,” she said.

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,” Remulla said.

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,” he said.

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.

Remulla personally presented the regional SIPS Seal to Tan in her capacity as chairperson of the Regional Peace and Order Council Calabarzon. The awarding recognized the council's role in coordinating peace and order efforts across the region.

The June 12 declaration gave Calabarzon a distinction no other region has yet achieved under the government's peace and security framework. Officials said maintaining that status will require continued coordination among local governments, security forces and communities across the region.