00:00Along with the official declaration of Katanduanes as insurgency-free,
00:04an agreement was made to maintain the long-term peace and security in the province.
00:11Details in the national news, Nino Luces of PTV Legazpi.
00:17It was declared as the first province in the Bicol region
00:21that Katanduanes is insurgency-free.
00:24After the activities were no longer monitored,
00:27the Communist Terrorist Group or NPA was declared insurgency-free within a year.
00:32According to Major General Noel Alberto Peñafiel,
00:35the guerrilla front of the NPA, which is called larangan, was also dismantled.
00:41The barangays that we used to call controlled, consolidated,
00:49all of those are now gone in Katanduanes.
00:53There is no sign of organized mass base or party branch of the NPA in any place in Katanduanes.
01:04And fourth, we developed a resilient community
01:11that we call functional integrated territorial defense system.
01:15On Tuesday, officials of the 9th Infantry Division, PNP, and Coast Guard Bicol
01:20gathered in the capital of the province to formally declare Katanduanes as an insurgency-free province
01:25that has stable internal peace and security.
01:28At the same time, a memorandum of understanding was also signed.
01:32Major General Noel Alberto Peñafiel, commander of the 9th Infantry Division,
01:38PNP Bicol Director Police Brigadier General Andre P. Dizon,
01:42and Commodore Ivan Roldan of Coast Guard Bicol,
01:44represented by Coast Guard Lieutenant Junior Grade Kenny Villafuerte.
01:48Despite the declaration, Peñafiel said that the troops of the military will remain in Katanduanes
01:54and that a battalion of soldiers will be placed where his goal is to have territorial defense.
02:00Governor Joseph Buboy-Cua was pleased with this
02:03because it is a big part of the economy and promotion of tourism in the province.
02:08It is one of the obstacles for an investor in a province if there is an insurgent problem,
02:15a drug problem, and everything.
02:18That is why the declaration of the situation of Katanduanes as insurgency-free
02:26is a big help to our tourism program.
02:32The only industry that I can see in Katanduanes is to promote our tourism.
02:37It is very enviable because there are a lot of overflowing tourists.
02:42Maybe because of this insurgency in Katanduanes,
02:45this is a big flag to go to Katanduanes for tourists, not only local but foreign tourists.
02:57From PTV Ligaspi, Ninio Luces for Balitang Pambansa.
