(BORONGAN CITY INFORMATION OFFICE)
BORONGAN CITY – This city has been officially declared under a Stable Internal Peace and Security Condition (SIPSC), marking what government and military officials described as a major milestone in Eastern Samar’s decades-long campaign against communist insurgency.
The declaration was led on Monday, July 13, by Major Gen. Peter Burgonio, commander of the Philippine Army’s 8th Infantry Division, together with Eastern Samar Representative Christopher Sheen Gonzales, Borongan City Mayor Jose Ivan Dayan Agda, and Vice Governor Maricar Sison-Goteesan, who represented Governor Ralph Vincent Evardone.
Also attending the ceremony were Brig. Gen. Pompeyo Jayson Almagro, commander of the 802nd Infantry Brigade; Brig. Gen. Arlino Sendaydiego, commander of the 801st Infantry Brigade; members of the city council, barangay officials, and other local stakeholders.
Agda said the declaration should serve not as the culmination of the city’s peace campaign but as a challenge to sustain the gains achieved through years of cooperation among the military, police, local government units, and communities.
“Let us work together even with this declaration that we are already free from these peace challenges. This should not stop us in our resolve to fight for good governance, accountability, and our malasakit sa kapwa,” Agda said.
The mayor recalled that when he assumed office in 2019, Borongan was still grappling with insurgency-related violence.
He cited two bombing incidents that year—one in the remote village of Pinanag-an that killed several soldiers and another along the national highway in Barangay Libuton that left police personnel dead and several civilians injured.
Since then, the city government has intensified its peace and development programs by encouraging communist rebels to surrender and return to mainstream society through the government’s Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program (E-CLIP), which provides financial assistance, livelihood opportunities, and employment support to former rebels.
The city has also invested in road infrastructure to improve access to its interior villages. Of Borongan’s 61 barangays, only Baras and Pinanag-an remain accessible exclusively by motorboat.
Despite the declaration, Burgonio assured residents that military forces would continue maintaining a strong presence in Borongan, particularly in hinterland communities, to preserve the peace gains and prevent the resurgence of insurgency.
“Ako na po ang magsasabi na hindi kami aalis ng Borongan City, bagkus kami po ay magpapanatili ng mas malaking presensya,” Burgonio said.
He also called on barangay officials to continue strengthening the delivery of government services and help safeguard the city’s peace through sustained cooperation with security forces.
Borongan is the 21st local government unit in Eastern Samar to be placed under SIPSC. Only the municipalities of Dolores and Jipapad have yet to receive the same declaration.
The SIPSC is jointly conferred by the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police on local government units that have dismantled insurgent influence, recorded no violent encounters between government forces and communist rebels, cleared guerrilla operations, and established functional peace and order mechanisms.
The designation signifies that insurgency-related threats have been reduced to manageable levels, paving the way for sustained economic growth, increased investments, tourism, and development projects.
(ROEL T. AMAZONA)
