CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY (Dec. 27, 2023) – Northern Mindanao will always have a story to tell every year. In 2023, the region did not disappoint, bringing in a considerable amount of national attention

In particular, Misamis Occidental province had more of that this year.

The aftermath of the December 2022 shear line floods compelled President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to visit the province and Gingoog City in Misamis Oriental as well, in early January.

Marcos’ meetings with regional and local officials with Cabinet members have created long-term policies, especially in adding disaster-resilient infrastructure projects and social welfare programs.

Since then, the provincial government has rolled out cash assistance in partnership with the Department of Social Welfare and Development for flood-affected residents.

Crime, deaths

Misamis Occidental also brought stories that call for justice – one being the death of community broadcaster Juan Jumalon, who was killed while livestreaming inside his house in Calamba town on Nov. 5.

His death prompted a series of condemnations from media groups, public officials, and even Marcos himself.

Suspects were identified, and murder charges were filed.

The incident led Gov. Henry Oaminal to direct the provincial police and the Police Regional Office (PRO-10) to arrest the culprits and revisit the investigation of other assassination attempts.

These included the Oct. 15 blast in Clarin which hit his convoy; the Oct. 23 shooting of Calamba Municipal engineer Jopson Baones; and Oct. 28 grenade-throwing incident at the house of Calamba Mayor Luisito Villanueva.

Almost a month after Jumalon’s murder, the province will again mourn the death of Riza Ramos Daniel, 49, who was killed in a blast inside the Mindanao State University-Main Campus gymnasium in Marawi City, Lanao del Sur on Dec. 3.

Daniel was the mother of El Dritz, who was also injured in the blast, both of Tangub City. El Dritz was a third-year Computer Studies student at MSU-Main. Daniel decided to work in Marawi City to be closer to her son.

MSU-Marawi incident

The incident in MSU-Main brought the provincial government of Lanao del Sur and the Marawi City government together to coordinate with the police and military.

Within the week, the Islamic State militants claimed the attack, followed by the arrest of suspects Kadapi Mimbesa and Arsani Membisa, who are said to have links with local terrorist group, Dawlah Islamiyah. Both had prior arrest warrants for murder and kidnapping charges.

Other than Daniel, the three other fatalities were students Janine Arenas and Junrey Barbante, and faculty member Evangeline Aromin. The blast also injured some 50 people.

Change of command, anti-insurgency

Meanwhile, this year saw major changes in the region’s military and police leadership.

Maj. Gen. Jose Ma. Cuerpo II replaced Maj. Gen. Wilbur Mamawag as the commander of the Philippine Army’s 4th Infantry Division (4ID) in March. Brig. Gen. Ricardo Layug also replaced Brig. Gen. Lawrence Coop as PRO-10 director in October.

As soon the two assumed office, they had their hands full in continuing the mandates of the national government in securing the peace and order situation in the region.

The 4ID under Cuerpo continued its operations against New People’s Army (NPA) rebels, and even on Christmas Day, Dec. 25, troops under the 403rd Infantry Brigade killed 10 rebels in Bukidnon.

Cuerpo said the Army has maintained its position of allowing NPA rebels to surrender or face a military operation, wherever they may be in Northern Mindanao and Caraga regions.

PRO-10 also accepted rebel surrenderers who brought in firearms and ammunition. Those who surrendered were assisted in the programs of the Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict.

On anti-drugs, Layug said the police has continued its anti-illegal drug campaign with a series of buy-busts in partnership with the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency.

With the introduction of “Buhay Ingatan, Droga’y Ayawan” of the Department of the Interior and Local Government, PRO-10 followed suit in promoting a holistic approach to addressing illegal drug issues.

Village polls

Layug and Cuerpo would again have their hands full in the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections (BSKE) that were finally held on Oct. 30 after several years of delay.

Police and military troops were deployed to keep the peace.

While reports of vote buying by the local chapter of the National Citizens; Movement for Free Elections, and tensions among supporters in Nunungan, Lanao del Norte, both PRO-10 and 4ID reported a “generally peaceful” BSKE.

On election gun ban operations, PRO-10 reported that from August 28 to October 30, a total of 77 operations were launched that resulted in the arrest of 90 persons, confiscation of 55 firearms, 41 deadly weapons, 367 rounds of ammunition, and an explosive.

But in Lanao del Sur province, which is part of the Bangsamoro Region, the BSKE was marred with heated confrontations among political supporters, voting delays in precincts, and occasional violence that led to a death in the town of Butig.

Rice, economy

The limited rice supply and increase in its prices prompted the national government to issue Executive Order 39, which put a ceiling on prices and provided assistance to affected farmers and small-scale retailers.

Bukidnon province, the region’s food basket, was also affected by drought that some had attributed to the effects of the El Niño phenomenon being experienced in the country.

However, according to the Department of Agriculture, the lean months between August and September would be offset by the fresh harvests that came in October.

And so it did, as the Philippine Statistics Authority Region 10 released its monthly inflation reports and regional economic status in the following month, showing a rosy picture of the regional economy. The National Economic and Development Authority-Region 10 forecasts a stable overall economy for 2023.

Based on the 2022 gross regional domestic product, NEDA-10 Director Mylah Faye Aurora Cariño said Northern Mindanao achieved a GRDP of 7.2 percent or PHP935 billion, compared to the 6.3 percent growth in the previous year, which was impacted by the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic. (By Nef Luczon/PNA)