THE Davao Region recorded a 92 percent trust rating, tied with Northern Mindanao for the “highest public trust with the police” in Mindanao, a study by Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) stated.
The newly-released “Mindanao Trust, Respect, Safety And Satisfaction Survey
Quarter 1 Results” study of Minda stated the results are “attributed to the declaration of the former (Davao Region) as insurgency-free, while the latter (Northern Mindanao) was recognized as among the top contributors of addressing the armed conflict in the country.”
The study was conducted from January to March 2023 with 7,000 respondents randomly chosen from all regions in Mindanao.
For the regions and provinces, the survey used multi-stage cluster sampling. The margin of error was set at 3 percent, with a confidence range of 95 percent.
“This is a very, very good indication that the peace and development efforts are really well in place in Mindanao,” Secretary Maria Belen Acosta, MinDA chairperson, said during the Kapehan sa Dabaw at SM City Davao, June 26, 2023.
Acosta said the study should also encourage investors to come in, and provide good opportunities for different foreign chambers of commerce to give their confidence in Mindanao.
She also thanked the security sectors for “going all out” in their duties.
Meanwhile, Area Police Command Eastern Mindanao Command Police Major General Filmore Escobal said the “positive results” are coming from the police’s different programs which aims to “solve crimes and incidents immediately”.
Filmore also added that the sustainment of most of Davao Region as being insurgency-free had contributed to the “positive results”.
“In fact if you notice, for the past months... the Region 11 has sustained the peace and security situation and zero ang incidents involving communist-terrorist groups based on our data,” Fillmore said.
Meanwhile, European Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines-Southern Mindanao Business Council (ECCP-SMBC) chair Antonio Peralta said the study will be a “very important piece” that will be used as a basis for decision-makers, especially in the business sector whether or not they should come to Mindanao.
“Basically, we don’t have any basis except for what the media will say... this is where we are looking at the science-based study that is more or less reflective of a present situation here,” Peralta said.
“This (The study) is good, it will strengthen the belief or the confidence to be here in Mindanao,” he added. ICE