NEARLY 30K BARANGAYS REJECT CPP-NPA-NDF VIOLENCE — NTF-ELCAC

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY — A total of 28,415 barangays across 60 provinces are now covered by Stable Internal Peace and Security (SIPS) declarations, a sweeping expansion of stable communities that the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) said reflects the continuing erosion of CPP-NPA-NDF armed influence and communities moving away from violence toward peace, democratic governance and development.

NTF-ELCAC Deputy Director for Operations Rodrigo “Rhod” Lutao highlighted the figures Tuesday during the Major Island Group Action Planning Workshop for Mindanao, where he presented the progress of the National Action Plan for Unity, Peace and Development (NAP-UPD) before government communicators and partners from Regions IX, X, XI, XII, CARAGA and BARMM.

The figures show the scale of the transition: 21,614 barangays in 45 provinces are located within nine entire regions that have already attained SIPS, accounting for most of the nationwide total. Another 6,801 barangays in 15 SIPS provinces are located within regions still transitioning toward full regional SIPS status. Together, these represent 28,415 barangays in 60 provinces where stable peace and security conditions have been established, according to the Task Force report.

For NTF-ELCAC, the numbers illustrate how dramatically the geographical space for the communist armed insurgency has contracted. Areas where the CPP-NPA-NDF once sought to establish or maintain armed influence are increasingly transitioning toward normal civilian governance, peaceful political participation and development. The Task Force has previously described the spread of SIPS as a “historic rejection” of CPP-NPA-NDF violence, pointing to communities emerging from decades of insurgency and choosing to secure peace.

The transformation accelerated in 2026, with SIPS milestones involving Central Luzon, Cagayan Valley, CALABARZON, Western Visayas, CARAGA and the Cordillera Administrative Region. These declarations add to earlier gains and demonstrate that the reduction of communist armed influence is no longer confined to individual barangays or provinces but, in many areas, encompasses entire regions.

Lutao stressed that the expanding SIPS map cannot be separated from the government's development offensive in communities previously affected by armed conflict. As of September 29, the Barangay Development Program (BDP) has reached 5,638 formerly conflict-affected barangays, backed by ₱44.90 billion in development investments benefiting an estimated 16.03 million Filipinos, according to his report.

These investments have translated into concrete interventions on the ground: 955 classrooms, 1,587.02 kilometers of farm-to-market roads, 23,681 streetlights, 1,169 water and sanitation systems, 9,264 electrification projects, and 547 health and medical stations. The government has sustained that approach in 2026, with ₱8.08 billion appropriated for projects in 808 cleared barangays, including roads, schools, water systems, health stations and electrification.

The SIPS and BDP figures therefore tell two interconnected stories: the shrinking space for armed insurgency and the expanding presence of government and development. As armed influence recedes, the government is seeking to consolidate peace by bringing roads, electricity, potable water, education, health services, livelihoods and economic opportunities into communities previously vulnerable to conflict.

The decline of the armed movement is also reflected in the number of individuals leaving it. Lutao reported that 50,907 individuals surrendered to authorities from 2019 through 2025, while ₱984 million in assistance was extended under the Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program (E-CLIP), covering 33,267 immediate, livelihood and firearms-remuneration grants to former rebels.

He also reported 13,647 amnesty applications, alongside the formation of 4,008 people's organizations and the establishment of the Buklod Kapayapaan Federation. These initiatives, Lutao said, form part of the broader transition from armed conflict toward reintegration, community participation and peaceful development.

For his part, Assistant Director General Cornelio H. Valencia Jr., co-chair of the NTF-ELCAC Strategic Communications Cluster, said these gains must now be translated into messages and programs that communities themselves understand and advance.

“Anchored on ‘One message, many voices,’ we will craft plans responsive to local realities — while advancing our shared goals of unity, peace, and development,” Valencia said.

“Mindanao is diverse — no single approach fits every area. Our communications must be locally relevant yet anchored on a shared national direction,” Valencia added.

The Strategic Communications Cluster has developed a comprehensive communication plan aligned with NAP-UPD to ensure that national policy is translated into locally meaningful action.

Lutao identified three priorities moving forward: intensifying efforts against the remaining armed threat and expanding SIPS coverage; sustaining BDP gains in roads, classrooms, water systems, electrification and livelihoods while addressing the requirements of communities still affected by conflict; and strengthening accountability through the Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning or MEAL Framework.

The Task Force is carrying these gains into its revitalized “Build Peace Better” identity under NAP-UPD, centered on Unity, Peace and Development. The objective, officials said, is no longer merely to clear communities of armed insurgency, but to make the resulting peace durable by ensuring government presence, responsive institutions and visible development.

For NTF-ELCAC, the 28,415 SIPS barangays across 60 provinces represent a stark measure of how much ground the CPP-NPA-NDF armed insurgency has lost. Most—21,614 barangays—are already part of nine entire regions under SIPS, while another 6,801 belong to SIPS provinces in regions moving toward the same goal. The Task Force's stated assessment is that as the footprint of SIPS expands, the space for communist armed violence contracts—and the challenge now is to ensure that peace, development and democratic governance permanently occupy the ground insurgency has lost.