Northern Mindanao on the spotlight
The Army has maintained its position of allowing NPA rebels to surrender or face a military operation, wherever they may be in Northern Mindanao and Caraga regions.
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The Army has maintained its position of allowing NPA rebels to surrender or face a military operation, wherever they may be in Northern Mindanao and Caraga regions.
CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY — The year 2023 has brought Northern Mindanao into the national spotlight, particularly Misamis Occidental, which became a seemingly center of attention in the region.
This, as the aftermath of the December 2022 shear line floods prompted President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to visit the province and Gingoog City in Misamis Oriental as well, in early January.
Marcos' meetings with regional and local officials with Cabinet members have created long-term policies, especially in adding disaster-resilient infrastructure projects and social welfare programs.
Since then, the provincial government has rolled out cash assistance in partnership with the Department of Social Welfare and Development for flood -affected residents.
Misamis Occidental also brought stories that call for justice — one being the death of community broadcaster Juan Jumalon, who was killed while livestreaming inside his house in Calamba town on 5 November.
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His death prompted a series of condemnations from media groups, public officials and even Marcos himself as suspects were eventually identified, and murder charges were filed.
The incident led Governor Henry Oaminal to direct the provincial police and the Police Regional Office 10 to arrest the culprits and revisit the investigation of other assassination attempts.
These included the 15 October blast in Clarin which hit his convoy; the 23 October shooting of Calamba Municipal engineer Jopson Baones and the 28 October grenade-throwing incident at the house of Calamba Mayor Luisito Villanueva.
Almost a month after Jumalon's murder, the province will again mourn the death of Riza Ramos Daniel, who was killed in a blast inside the Mindanao State University-Main Campus gymnasium in Marawi City, Lanao del Sur on 3 December.
The incident in MSU-Main brought the provincial government of Lanao del Sur and the Marawi City government together to coordinate with the police and military.
Within the week, the Islamic State militants claimed the attack, followed by the arrest of suspects Kadapi Mimbesa and Arsani Membisa, who are said to have links with local terrorist group, Dawlah Islamiyah. Both had prior arrest warrants for murder and kidnapping charges.
The year also saw major changes in the region's military and police leadership.
Maj. Gen. Jose Ma. Cuerpo II replaced Maj. Gen. Wilbur Mamawag as the commander of the Philippine Army's 4th Infantry Division in March. Brig. Gen. Ricardo Layug also replaced Brig. Gen. Lawrence Coop as PRO-10 director in October.
As soon they assumed office, they had their hands full in continuing the mandates of the national government in securing the peace and order situation in the region.
The 4ID under Cuerpo continued its operations against New People's Army rebels, and even on Christmas Day, 25 December troops under the 403rd Infantry Brigade killed 10 rebel in Bukidnon.
Cuerpo said the Army has maintained its position of allowing NPA rebels to surrender or face a military operation, wherever they may be in Northern Mindanao and Caraga regions.
PRO-10 also accepted rebel surrenderers who brought in firearms and ammunition. Those who surrendered were assisted in the programs of Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict.
Meantime, the Philippine Statistics Authority Region 10 released its monthly inflation reports and regional economic status in the following month, showing a rosy picture of the regional economy. The National Economic and Development Authority-Region 10 forecast a stable overall economy for 2023.
Based on the 2022 gross regional domestic product, NEDA-10 Director Mylah Faye Aurora Cariño said Northern Mindanao achieved a GRDP of 7.2 percent or P935 billion, compared to the 6.3 percent growth in the previous year, which was impacted by the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic.
