President Marcos rejoiced how Tawi-Tawi had evolved from being the “ground zero” of conflicts to a peaceful province that allowed him to be the first president to visit the island.

Marcos said this as he visited the Joint Task Force Tawi-Tawi headquarters in Bongao municipality on Thursday, May 23.

In his speech, the President was very happy to be the first Filipino President to set foot on the Marines headquarters on the island.

“The reason is not because other presidents did not want to come here, it was because other presidents were not allowed by the security conditions that had passed before to be able to come here,” he told the troops.

“And that is why, I am very happy that we can now show that it is peaceful in Tawi-Tawi," he added.

According to Marcos, Tawi-Tawi is now peaceful because of all the efforts of all the troops to transform Tawi-Tawi’s reputation as a lair of the insurgents and terrorists in their kidnapping activities.

“Because of the efforts of all our personnel in the Task Force Tawi-Tawi, we have now come to the situation where it is peaceful enough now,” he said.

“Ang labanan ngayon dito pagandahan na ng (The battle here is now for the best) resort and that is something that we — is a very, very, very big achievement and the part that you played in that is a very, very major part so congratulations for the good work and for a job well done," he added.

However, Marcos said the job of the soldiers is not over.

“We transform ourselves from warfighters, we transform ourselves into now peacemakers,” he said.

“You have performed the war-fighting mission to an excellent degree. And now, let us also show them that the peace-making part of your mission, you will now fulfill as well to the same excellent degree,” he added. 

Meanwhile, 2nd Marine Brigade commander Brig. Gen. Nestor Narag Jr. thanked the President for visiting them.

“We are very much honored and privileged to have you here with us this morning for it is the first time in the history of the deployment of our brigade here in the province of Tawi-Tawi that the highest official of the land sets foot inside this headquarters,” he said.

“Along that line Mr. President sir, kami po ay taus-pusong nagpapasalamat sa inyong pagdalo (we are wholeheartedly grateful for joining us), and thank you very much, Sir," he added.

President Marcos visited the JTF headquarters shortly after distributing aid to farmers and fisherfolk affected by the El Niño phenomenon in Tawi-Tawi.