Peace and progress are a cycle: with progress comes peace, and with peace comes progress.
And with the recent declaration of San Pedro City, Laguna as having achieved “Stable Internal Peace and Security” status last October 28, Mayor Art Mercado hopes that this declaration will ensure that the city will finally achieve its goal of being “Una sa Laguna” in terms of peace and order.
Last Monday, October 28, Mercado took the lead in signing a memorandum of understanding (MOU) focused on the Declaration of “Stable and Internal Peace and Security” in San Pedro City.
This initiative brought together various stakeholders, including the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), represented by Col. Ronald Jess Alcuida, OIC of the 202nd Infantry Brigade of the Philippine Army; the Philippine National Police (PNP), represented by P/Col. Gauvin Mel Unos, director of the Laguna Police Provincial Office; elected officials from the Sangguniang Panlungsod; Barangay chairpersons; and Sangguniang Kabataan chairpersons.
The “Stable Internal Peace and Security” status is conferred by agencies heading the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) to areas where there has been no significant activities of the Communist rebel group New People's Army (NPA) and their associated groups for at least a year.
According to the local government of San Pedro, this collaborative effort emphasizes a collective commitment to fostering peace and security within the community and strengthen the foundation for sustainable development, ensuring that every resident feels secure and valued.
"Sa ngalan ng ating pamahalaang lungsod, ikinararangal ko ang pagdedeklara ng Task Force Ugnay at ng DILG Laguna na isa tayo sa mga lungsod ng Laguna na may Stable Interal Peace and Security status," Mercado said in his speech during the event.
"Hangad ko rin na sa pagtutulungan ng bawat isa, mapapanatili ang Stable Interal Peace and Security status natin sa ating lungsod ng San Pedro, sa ating pangarap na gawin itong maunlad, panatag, matatag at nangungunang bayan dito sa Laguna," he added.
To recall, Mercado had conducted talks with officials of the AFP led by Lt. Col. Rolando Acido, commander of the 2nd Civil Military Operations (2CMO) Battalion, last May to discuss the possibility of conducting peace and order-oriented seminars for the youth and first-time jobseekers in the city.
"By fostering an environment of enduring peace within the community and becoming the pioneer city in Laguna to achieve SIPS status, Santa Pedro City can unlock its full economic potential for the benefit of all its constituents," Acido had said in a media interview during that time.
San Pedro City is the second city in Laguna province to have achieved SIPS status, after Calamba City.
Also included among LGUs in the province that have been declared as "insurgency-free" are the towns of Famy, Nagcarlan, Paete, Pangil, Kalayaan, Santa Maria and Cavinti.
(With additional report from PNA)
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