Samar town declared insurgency-free

TACLOBAN CITY— The municipality of Matuguinao in Samar, once considered among the province’s most insurgency-affected area, was formally declared under a Stable Internal Peace and Security Condition (SIPSC) on Monday, marking a major milestone in its decades-long journey from conflict to peace.

The declaration, made during a ceremony at the municipal gymnasium, signified the town’s transition from years of armed struggle and communist rebel influence to a state where insurgency-related threats have been significantly reduced, enabling local authorities to focus on development, economic growth, and the delivery of basic services.

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The event was attended by local officials led by Mayor Aran Boller, Philippine Army 8th Infantry Division Commander Major General Peter Burgonio, representatives from the Philippine National Police (PNP), the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), and other stakeholders.

For decades, Matuguinao was regarded as one of Samar’s insurgency strongholds, with the influence of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army-National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF) reaching nearly all of its 20 barangays.

Since the municipality’s creation in 1965 and the emergence of the NPA in the 1970s, insurgency-related violence claimed the lives of two municipal mayors, military personnel, barangay officials, and civilians, making the town one of the most challenging security environments in the province.

In his speech, Boller described the declaration as the realization of a long-held dream shared by generations of Matuguinaonons.

“It has been many decades since our people dreamed of total emancipation from the influence of the CPP-NPA-NDF,” he said. “Many leaders, elders, soldiers, and ordinary citizens sacrificed and shed their blood for peace and development. Though some are no longer with us today, their aspirations have become our guiding legacy.”

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The mayor said the municipality’s intensified anti-insurgency efforts gained momentum in 2019 when the local government adopted stronger measures against communist rebel influence and declared NPA members persona non grata.

“The beginning of the end started in 2019,” Boller said. “It was the start of putting an end to the armed struggle against the government and weakening the communist ideology that prevented our people from achieving true development.”

Local officials attributed the town’s improved security situation to close coordination among the local government, the Armed Forces of the Philippines, the PNP, national government agencies, barangay officials, and residents.

A key factor in Matuguinao’s transformation was improved accessibility.

Previously, the town could only be reached through a four- to six-hour motorboat ride. The completion in 2019 of a Payapa at Masaganang Pamayanan (Pamana)-funded road project linking Matuguinao to neighboring Gandara reduced travel time to less than an hour, improving access to government services, markets, and economic opportunities.

“By delivering services to all citizens equally, we have eliminated the grounds for complaints used by the NPA to justify their recruitment,” Boller said.

The local government is currently assisting about 70 former rebels through reintegration programs, including livelihood support and planned housing assistance.

Boller emphasized that sustaining peace is essential to ensuring long-term development.

“The true measure of progress is not only the structures we build but the peace we sustain,” he said. “When every citizen is safe from criminality, insurgency, and other threats, development naturally follows.”

For his part, Burgonio commended local officials and residents for their cooperation, saying lasting peace could not have been achieved without strong community participation.

The SIPSC declaration is granted only after a local government unit undergoes assessment and validation by military and police authorities and is found free from insurgent influence, presence, and activities for at least one year.

A fifth-class municipality with more than 7,700 residents, Matuguinao relies largely on agriculture, particularly abaca and coconut production and rice farming. Local officials expressed hope that the improved peace and security situation would further boost economic activity and accelerate development in the once-isolated upland town./coa