TWENTY-NINE Civil-Military Operations Competency and Enhancement Training (CMOCET) students are undergoing 45-day operational immersion in the area of operations of the 21st Infantry Battalion (21IB) in the second district of Sulu, a top military official said Monday, May 25, 2026.
Brigadier General Alaric Avelino Delos Santos, 1102nd Infantry "Ganarul" Brigade commander, said the 21IB formally received the 29 CMOCET students Monday, May 25, in the headquarters of the battalion in Seit Lake village, Panamao, Sulu in preparation for their immersion.
The CMOCET students are from the different subordinate units of the Sulu-based 11th Infantry "Alakdan" Division.
"Unit briefing and briefing on the concept of immersion were conducted in preparation for their actual exposure to CMO activities," Delos Santos said in a statement.
He said the immersion aims to provide the solider-students with actual experience in the fields of community engagement, peace advocacy, stakeholder coordination, and other CMO activities that support the maintenance of peace and order in communities under the area of operations of the 21IB.
He said the immersion is also part of the support for Team Ganarul's ongoing campaign to perpetuate peace and strengthen community-based peace initiatives in the second district of Sulu.
The initiative includes promoting Rido-Free, Gun-Free, and Peace-Centered Communities through intensified engagement with local governments, religious leaders, elders, youth, and various sectors of society to maintain unity, peace, and stability in the communities.
Delos Santos noted that security in the second district of Sulu continues to remain stable due to the joint efforts of the citizens, local government, and the security sector.
Through the operational immersion, it is expected that the relationship between the community and peace stakeholders will be further strengthened while increasing support for sustainment efforts to maintain Stable Internal Peace and Security in the area," Delos Santos added. (SunStar Zamboanga)