MISAMIS ORIENTAL — Northern Mindanao is strengthening its safety framework by combining improved peace and order measures with new initiatives aimed at protecting children both offline and in the digital space, officials said this week.

During his first State of the Region Address on 30 June, Regional Development Council-X chairperson and Misamis Occidental Governor Henry S. Oaminal reported that the region recorded a 12-percent decline in focus crimes during the first half of 2026 compared with the same period last year.

The region also posted an 87-percent crime solution efficiency rate, surpassing the national benchmark.

Authorities likewise reported a sharp decline in cases involving Online Sexual Abuse or Exploitation of Children and Child Sexual Abuse or Exploitation Materials, which dropped from 22 cases in the second half of 2025 to just four cases in the first half of 2026. Misamis Occidental recorded zero reported cases during the latest monitoring period.

“These improvements reflect stronger inter-agency coordination, intensified prevention campaigns, and active community vigilance,” Oaminal said, noting that the gains support the security pillar of the MAS ASENSO Northern Mindanao Agenda aligned with the Marcos administration’s peace and development priorities.

As part of efforts to expand child protection into the digital space, the Swipe Safe Project was launched on 25 June in Cagayan de Oro City, the program’s first pilot site in the country.