THE Provincial Peace Integration and Development Unit (Pro-Pidu) aims to declare the Fourth District of Negros Occidental a “peaceful and ready-for-further-development district” by the end of January next year.
The Fourth District is composed of the cities of Bago and La Carlota, and the municipalities of Pulupandan, Valladolid, San Enrique, and Pontevedra.
Governor Alfredo Marañon Jr., during the Pro-Pidu meeting held at the Capitol Wednesday, lauded the joint efforts of the local officials of the district and the members of the Philippine Army and Philippine National Police.
Colonel Jon Aying, commanding officer of the Army’s 303rd Infantry Brigade, said there are no Communist Party of the Philippines-National Democratic Front-New People’s Army (CPP-NDF-NPA) influenced barangays and no NPA-initiated violent incidents recorded in the district for the past six years.
It is important that the people of the Fourth District are involved in the preparations for the peace declaration so that they will also participate in the maintenance of the peace and order in their respective communities, Aying said.
He added that stabilizing the peace and order situation in a particular area will empower civil authorities in performing their mandate on peace and security and will also promote people’s shared responsibility and reinforce their sense of security.
It will also boost social pressure against armed struggle and attract more investors, Aying said.
The preparations for the peace declaration involve consultation meetings with the Peace and Order Councils from the barangays up to the city and municipal levels.
Also included are the passing of respective resolutions of support to the peace declaration.
“Ultimately, when all of the districts shall have made their declarations, the whole province will also be declared as a “Peaceful and Ready-for-Further-Development Province,” Aying said.
The Pro-Pidu meeting was also attended by Fourth District officials, including Board Member Victor Javellana, Mayors Mario Magno of San Enrique and Jose Maria Alonso of Pontevedra, Municipal Administrator Federico Infante Jr. of Pulupandan, Larry Yulo of Bago City, and Roel Yogore of Valladolid.