42 provinces declared peaceful, ready for dev’t

MANILA, Philippines - The military has so far declared 42 provinces as “peaceful and ready for further development” due to the improving security environment in these areas.

Six provinces have been added to the list of “peaceful and ready for development” provinces last year. These are Pampanga, Catanduanes, Negros Oriental, Palawan, Misamis Oriental and Zamboanga Sibugay.

The declaration transferred the lead role of maintaining internal security from the military to the local governments and the police. The transfer is part of the military’s efforts to shift focus from internal security to territorial defense.

“The normalization of the security situation in the said provinces was a result of the Armed Forces of the Philippines’ active cooperation and coordination with law enforcement agencies,” Lt. Col. Harold Cabunoc, public affairs chief of the military, said.

Cabunoc also credited the improved security situation to the military’s engagements with local government units and other sectors.

The military has yet to make the same declaration in 28 provinces, as many of them are still grappling with insurgency.

Cabunoc said they would continue their “focused military operations” and development activities so that the 28 provinces would be declared peaceful and ready for further development by the end of the year.

A province is declared “peaceful and ready for development” if armed threats and rebellion are too weak to influence its citizens and way of life. The declaration is made formal by a resolution signed by officials from the local government, police and military.

The military used to call the provinces “insurgency-free” but later on changed it to “peaceful and ready for further development” after rebels staged attacks in some areas that have been supposedly freed from threat.

The military aims to put an end to internal security problems like communist insurgency and lawless groups so it can concentrate on defending the Philippines’ territories from external threats.