The 69th Infantry “Cougar” Battalion launched the media forum for the PNP–AFP–PCG Collaborative Effort Program (PACE) in Palauig, Zambales, on 22 November 2025.

According to the 69IB, the PACE program is a joint initiative involving the AFP, the PNP, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), and local government units (LGUs). Its primary goals are to enhance inter-agency coordination for security operations, ensure timely and efficient responses to security challenges, uphold stability and sustain a “State of Stable Internal Peace and Security” (SSIPS), and defeat insurgency to prevent its resurgence, thereby supporting local economic development and tourism.

The forum was led by Lt. Col. Mark Anthony B. Ruelos of the Philippine Army, together with representatives from other agencies and media organizations, to promote unity, transparency, and the dissemination of correct information to the public.

Ruelos underscored the importance of the media forum as a crucial platform for clearer communication and broader public awareness of the PACE initiative.

Coast Guard Station Zambales Capt. Euphraim Jayson H. Diciano, ZPPO PCADU Assistant Chief Police Major Ferdinand B. Somera, and media personnel were among the participants in the event.

The forum is part of the broader effort to ensure personnel are well-informed about national issues, including the West Philippine Sea dispute, and to transition former conflict-affected areas to a sustained state of peace and security.