Army seeks insurgency-free status for Iloilo province

By Jennifer P. Rendon

Like other provinces in Western Visayas, Iloilo province may soon be declared insurgency-free.

The Philippine Army’s 301st Infantry Brigade announced it will recommend that Iloilo be declared a Stable Internal Peace and Security area.

Brig. Gen. Nhel Richard Patricio, commander of the 301st Infantry Brigade, said he will ask the Iloilo Provincial Peace and Order Council to pass a resolution supporting the declaration in the first quarter of 2026.

Stable Internal Peace and Security, or SIPS, is a government designation granted to areas that have met requirements showing they have transitioned from conflict-affected zones to communities cleared of insurgent influence, including the New People’s Army.

Officials say the declaration is intended to spur countryside development, encourage investments, and promote community growth through a whole-of-the-nation approach.

In seeking SIPS status for Iloilo, Patricio said there have been no reported sightings of armed rebels in the province over the past year.

Once Iloilo is declared a SIPS area, Capiz would remain the only insurgency-affected province on Panay Island.

Patricio noted that Antique was declared a SIPS area last year and that “we have not monitored any NPA-related activities in the said province.”

He said that prior to Antique’s declaration, authorities monitored NPA presence along the boundaries of Iloilo, Capiz, and Antique, particularly in the municipality of Valderrama.

Patricio also reported a significant reduction in the number of NPA rebels operating in the region.

From 28 in January 2025, the number has dropped to about 15, with some members considered “inactive.”

“They’re just circling around the area of Tapaz in Capiz and they might go as far as Libacao in Aklan,” Patricio said.

He added that the arrest, neutralization, and surrender of several NPA leaders have rendered the group largely insignificant.

“They are deemed leaderless and with significantly reduced armaments,” Patricio said.

He said the armed structure of the group is essentially no longer in place.

Patricio added that even the insurgency situation in Capiz is now considered manageable.

“Our goal now is to really put an end to the insurgency concern in the whole of Panay Island,” he said.

He said efforts are ongoing to reach out to remaining NPA members, their families, and local government units.

Despite a possible SIPS declaration, Patricio said military units and personnel will continue to be deployed across Panay Island.