DAVAO CITY – From a “place of concern to a place of safety.” That’s what Mindanao has become. A study conducted by the Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) showed that the regions in Mindanao now enjoy a “general atmosphere of peace and order.” Conducted in the first quarter of this year on 7,000 respondents covering all regions of Mindanao, the results of “Mindanao Trust, Respect, Safety, Satisfaction Survey” showed favorable perception among respondents for Mindanao, with respondents giving the region a 91 percent trust, 90 percent satisfaction, 90 percent respect, and 88 percent safety. These figures are higher compared with the results of the “Tugon ng Masa,” a national survey conducted by the OCTA Research showing 80 percent trust, 73 percent satisfaction, 41 percent safety, and 41 percent respect based on the response of 1,200 respondents. According to the survey, the measurement of trust is a “psychographic measure of the public’s impression on the competence and character of the police in their line of duty – public safety.” It added that respect measures the “people’s opinion on the guarantee that police protect the rights, lives, and properties of the individuals.” Safety is the “public’s confidence that no harm comes their way at any given time and any place,” and satisfaction is the “opinion of the police overall performance,” according to the survey. The objectives of the survey are to measure the level of confidence of the public and the visitors on their overall safety and to serve as an immediate feedback on the impression of the people on the performance of the security forces in keeping the community safe and secure. The study noted that people in Mindanao enjoy the benefits of safe and secure communities resulting from trustworthy police services across regional offices. Among Mindanao's six regions, Davao region and Northern Mindanao enjoyed the highest public trust at 92 percent. The study attributed the high trust among respondents in Davao to having been declared as “insurgency free” while in Northern Mindanao, the recognition it earned “as among the top contributors of addressing the armed conflict in the country.” Coming in at second highest with 91 percent trust were Caraga and the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), Zamboanga Peninsula with 88 percent, and the Soccsksargen (South Cotabato, Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani, and General Santos) with 89 percent. In terms of respect, BARMM and Northern Mindanao posted the highest with 92 percent, followed by Caraga with 90 percent, Davao region, 89 percent; Soccsaksargen, 89 percent, and Zamboanga Peninsula with 88 percent. For safety, Northern Mindanao, BARMM, and Zamboanga Peninsula posted the highest safety ratings at 89 percent while Davao region, Northern Mindanao, and Soccsksargen with 88 percent. MinDA attributed the favorable perception on safety to the various peace agreements and implementation of plenty of public safety activities. Meanwhile, BARMM and Northern Mindanao posted the highest respect ratings at 92 percent each, Caraga with 90 percent, Davao region and Soccsksagen with 89 percent, and Zamboanga Peninsula with 88 percent.