Borongan City declared insurgency-free

TACLOBAN CITY – Borongan City, the capital of Eastern Samar, has been declared under a Stable Internal Peace and Security Condition (SIPSC), a milestone that government and military officials said reflects the success of years of sustained operations against the communist New People’s Army (NPA) and paves the way for accelerated development in the province.

The declaration was made on Monday during a ceremony led by Major Gen. Peter Burgonio, commander of the Philippine Army’s 8th Infantry Division, alongside Eastern Samar Rep. Christopher Sheen Gonzales, Borongan City Mayor Jose Ivan Dayan Agda, and Vice Gov. Maricar Sison-Goteesan, representing Gov. Ralph Vincent Evardone.

The SIPSC status is jointly conferred by the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) on local government units that have dismantled communist insurgent influence, neutralized guerrilla operations, maintained functional peace and order mechanisms, and reduced security threats to manageable levels.

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READ: Calabarzon declared insurgency-free on Independence Day

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Preserving peace

For Agda, however, the declaration is not the culmination of the city’s peace efforts but the beginning of a greater responsibility to preserve the gains achieved over the years.

“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 reeling from insurgency-related violence.

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He cited two bomb attacks 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 wounded.

In response, the city government intensified its peace and development initiatives, including support for the government’s Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program (E-CLIP), which provides financial assistance, livelihood opportunities, and employment support to former communist rebels who return to the fold of the law.

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READ: 59 Bicol areas, entire Catanduanes declared insurgency-free – Army

Investing in road infrastructure

Borongan also invested heavily in road infrastructure to improve access to its upland communities, a strategy aimed at bringing government services to previously isolated villages and reducing areas vulnerable to insurgent influence.

Of the city’s 61 barangays, only Baras and Pinanag-an remain accessible solely by motorboat.

Burgonio assured residents that the military would continue to maintain a strong presence in Borongan to safeguard the gained peace.

He likewise urged barangay officials and community leaders to remain vigilant and continue working closely with government security forces to ensure that insurgents would no longer regain a foothold in the city.

Borongan is the 21st local government unit in Eastern Samar to be placed under SIPSC, a term used by the military to describe an NPA-free area. Only the municipalities of Dolores and Jipapad have yet to receive the same declaration.

For decades, Eastern Samar was considered one of the country’s remaining strongholds of the communist insurgency due to its rugged mountains, dense forests, and geographically isolated communities that served as sanctuaries for NPA guerrillas.

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Officials said Borongan’s declaration as insurgency-free is expected to boost investor confidence, tourism, and economic activity while allowing the local government to focus more on development programs rather than internal security concerns./coa