Palawan is now an insurgency-free province.
President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. declared on Friday, Sept. 1, the entire province of Palawan insurgency free.
The declaration was made in line with the observance of the National Peace Consciousness Month.
"I cannot think of a better way to open the celebration, the commemoration of the National Peace Consciousness Month than to also, at the same time, be able to announce and to declare Palawan Island as insurgency-free," Marcos said in his remarks during the event held in Puerto Princesa City.
"The milestone that we celebrate today epitomizes the commitment that you have put to end the decades-long insurgency in the area through the provision of national reintegration programs for former rebels and promotion of the island’s peace and security," Marcos added.
The President attributed the insurgency-free status of the province to the new policy of the government involving various government agencies and local government units.
He said the concept was instrumental, particularly in encouraging rebels to surrender and return to the society.
"Kung dati ay nakita natin ay ang kaharap lamang ng mga rebelde ay sundalo at saka pulis, kaya’t napakahirap na maabot ang pagkakaintindihan at maibalik sa ating lipunan ang mga naging rebelde (In the past, it was only the soldiers and police who talk to rebels so it was very hard to come to an agreement and encourage them to return to the society)," Marcos cited.
"Ngayon, ito ay marami ng dinagdag na mga tinatawag na (Now, we have added what we call) features that have helped us bring us to this day where we can commemorate the announcement or the declaration of areas in the Philippines as insurgent-free," he added.
The Chief Executive said under the new approach, the mission to bring rebels back to the folds of the law includes the involvement of the police, soldiers, local government units, agencies, and local communities to show them that they will not be neglected.
"And that is why it is gratifying to see because we have seen the success of this principle, of this concept, all around the country," he said.
Marcos pointed out that the rebels resort to insurgency because they felt "they are neglected and have lost hope in a peaceful life, in a peaceful society, and that is why they resort to violence, and they resort to fighting in the different forms."
The declaration followed the joint declaration initially made by the Palawan Provincial Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (PTF-ELCAC) and the Provincial Peace and Order Council (PPOC) in 2022.
It states that all focused areas (FOCARs) and Konsolidado, Kinokonsolida, Ekspansyon at Rekoberi (KKER) in Palawan and the City have been cleared, as reported in the Clearing Validation Board Resolution Nos. 01 s-2020, 01 s-2021 and 01 s-2022 of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).
A series of socio-economic support programs and packages were launched by the Region IV-B or MIMAROPA (Mindoro [Occidental Mindoro and Oriental Mindoro], Marinduque, Romblon and Palawan) Regional Task Force-End Local Communist Armed Conflict (RTF-ELCAC) and Provincial Task Force-ELCAC clusters, along with information and awareness campaigns to ensure the welfare of former rebels.