By Anthony Giron IMUS, Cavite---The historical province of Cavite continued to boom with its business, tourism, and other ventures in 2019, amid the oddities that were reported in the area. As the province progresses in terms of infrastructure and other developments, the population has also increased in the area. Correspondingly, so have authorities' actions to maintain peace and order, including drug arrests which were notably high, according to the Police Provincial Office (PPO). A first-class province, Cavite is the country’s most populated area with an estimated 4.5 million citizens in eight districts comprising seven cities and 16 municipalities. The population increases by about 200,000 yearly because of the influx of migrants from Metro Manila and the surrounding areas. Tourism in Cavite has thrived through the years, given the province’s many scenic sites and historical places particularly in its 8^th district which encompasses Tagaytay City and the municipalities of Alfonso, General Emilio Aguinaldo, Magallanes, Maragondon, Mendez, Naic, and Ternate; Imus City, the capital; Kawit, the site of the Aguinaldo Shrine; and Cavite City, the province's oldest area. Also booming are industrialization and entrepreneurship in Cavite’s economic zones in Rosario (also called Salinas), General Trias City, Dasmariñas City, Carmona, and the recent urban developments in the upland and lowland areas. Metro Manila extension Governor Juanito Victor “Jonvic” Remulla, Vice Governor Ramon Jolo Revilla III, the 16-man Sangguniang Panlalawigan (Provincial Board), and other officials have consistently monitored and taken actions on developments and peace and order which, according to them, are a must to keep the province healthy and its economy progressive. The province is destined to be the busiest area after the National Capital Region or, as some call it, the "Metro Manila Extension," as the near future will see more infrastructure and businesses rising in the area. Cavite is the site of ongoing large national government-funded projects including the 11.7 kilometer Light Rail Transit Line I Extension from Baclaran (Paranaque Station to Niog in Bacoor) and the airport at Sangley Point in Cavite City. The province is also set to host a number of Philippine offshore gaming operators (POGO) hubs in the next few years, reportedly in Covelandia in Kawit, Palico in Imus, and an area near Sangley Point in Cavite. There is also talk about establishing POGOs in Bacoor and Silang. Among the infrastructures in the province are the 10-kilometer Cavite-Laguna Expressway (CALAx or CALAex), a portion of which has just been opened to the riding public in Cavite. The Philippines' first container RO-RO (roll on, roll off) barge port was also opened in November 2018 in Tanza municipality. Crime rate decreased in 2018, says PPO The Cavite Police Provincial Office (PPO) reported that the crime rate, particularly cases of murder, homicide, and theft and robbery, decreased by 38 percent in 2019 as compared to the previous year. Major Jonathan Abuel Asnan, PPO Operations Branch and Plans and Strategy Management Unit chief, attributed the crime decrease to the authorities' ongoing drives against illegal drugs, criminality, and loose firearms, among others. Asnan reported that from Jan. 1 to Dec. 25 in 2019, the PPO arrested 7,758 drug personalities in the 3,665 operations that were conducted in the province, while 44 drug suspects and those suspects who resisted and fought the police were killed. Tagaytay City and the seven municipalities in the 8th district were declared drug-cleared earlier this year by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) and the Philippine National Police (PNP). Along with the drug arrests in the provinces -- mostly from among jobless and some barangay (village) officers and professionals -- millions of pesos worth of "shabu" or methamphetamine hydrochloride were confiscated in some operations during the year. The districts or cities of Bacoor, Imus, Dasmariñas, General Trias, and the 1st District (Cavite City, Kawit, Rosario, and Noveleta) and the Tanza municipality in the 7th District had the highest number of drug arrests and drug seizures in 2019, PPO reports showed. Over the last two years, Cavite was the province with the most number of drug arrests in Region IV-A or the Calabarzon (Cavite-Laguna-Batangas-Rizal-Quezon) area.  Shootings, ‘salvagings,’ suicides Also being monitored and acted upon in the province are shooting incidents, cases of "salvagings" (summary executions), suicide incidents, and vehicular and pedestrian accidents. As in previous years, fatal vehicular accidents were reported in the province in 2019. From Dec. 17 to 27 this year alone, seven persons perished in road accidents in the areas. Perhaps a contributing factor to this is the traffic situation, which is a major concern in the province given the growing volume of vehicles and number of commuters, particularly along Aguinaldo Highway in Bacoor, Imus, and Dasmariñas. PPO reports also showed there were also some shootings and suicides and a number of "salvage" cases in the province over the year. Col. Marlon R. Santos, the new Cavite PPO officer-in-charge, is expected to render a detailed crime situation report and statistics for 2019 in January 2020. Santos was designated to the position last Nov. 11, replacing Col. William M. Segun who served as PPO director for two years and two months, starting September 2017. Gov. Remulla has committed to provide additional police vehicles for operations in line with the provincial government’s initiative in instigating programs that can help maintain peace and order in the province. The provincial government has reportedly donated at least 100 prowl cars, hundreds of motorcycles, and equipment to the PPO since 2010. Remulla encouraged everyone to be vigilant and accountable enough to report any forms of violence in their locality to assist law enforcers in their task of apprehending lawbreaking individuals. Cavite’s strategic direction The Cavite Provincial Peace and Order Council (CPPOC) and the Provincial Anti-Drug Abuse Council (PADAC) this year met, deliberated, and acted on peace and order situations, internal security, drug clearing updates, road clearing validation, and African Swine Fever (ASF) last month with provincial officials, concerned officers, and police and military attending. Provincial Planning Development Coordinator Jesus  I. Barrrera also presented the province’s strategic direction which is anchored on the government’s sustainable development goals. He also said the governor’s ultimate objective is for the province to be the safest to live and invest in, because Remulla believes that in order to achieve economic growth, safety must come first and all others will follow. Aside from safety, and peace and order as priorities on the executive legislative agenda, concerns about traffic, water, and solid waste management were also tackled.   Dengue, measles, ASF outbreaks Cavite made headlines in 2019 when the provincial government declared outbreaks of dengue, measles, and ASF in the area. Cavite was the first among the provinces to declare a dengue outbreak and state of calamity. The provincial government declared a province-wide dengue outbreak and state of calamity in the province in July this year. From Jan. 1 to July 13 there were 18 dengue deaths and 3,605 cases recorded in the province. The provincial pronouncement came only a few days after the Department of Health (DoH) declared a national dengue alert in the country. The last time the provincial government declared a province-wide dengue outbreak and placed the province in a calamity state was on Sept. 19, 2015. From Jan. 1 to Dec. 31 that year, 48 deaths and 12,007 cases were reported. Cavite provincial epidemiologist Dr. Nelson Soriano confirmed that at least nine measles deaths and 424 cases of the disease were recorded in the province’s lowland and upland districts in February this year. A report showed that the four neighboring areas of Bacoor, provincial capital Imus, General Trias, and Dasmariñas, the province’s most populous, had the most number of cases with 104, 61, 55, and 52, respectively. The authorities also declared an ASF outbreak in Dasmariñas and Imus in October and November this year respectively. About 3,500 hogs were culled in the areas under the one-seven-10 radius anti-ASF protocol action and measures. Tagaytay, top tourist destination In terms of tourism, Tagaytay was again judged Region IV-A's (Calabarzon’s) top tourist destination city.  DoT-Region IV-A Officer Marites T. Castro feted Tagaytay as the 2019 Top Overnight Destination City and also gave it the 2nd Overall Same Day Visitor Award for the year in a ceremony at Sta. Rosa City, Laguna, this month. Tourism and Cultural Development Officer Jelanne R. Mendoza reported that 995,254 local and foreign tourists visited the city from January to December this year, based on hotel registrations.