By Ruben A. Veloria
IBA, Zambales, Philippines – Zambaleños not only have sun and sea, the province have now real peace and security as peace makers and DILG declares on Friday (Nov. 28) the province’s state of stable internal peace and security.
In peaceful milestone, Zambales Governor Hermogenes Ebdane Jr. led the signing of joint declaration attesting the reaffirmation of the Province of Zambales in a stable internal peace and security. The event also kick-off the Implementation of PNP-PCG-AFP Collaborative Efforts (PACE) Program in Sustaining Peace and Security in the province of Zambales.
Signed the Joint Declaration were DILG Provincial Dir. Melissa Nipal, who is also the concurrent Provincial Peace and Order Council (PPOC) Head Secretariat; Police Dep. Reg’l. Dir. P/Col. Reynaldo Ogay, Jr.; BGen. Mario Jacinto PA, Ass’t. Dir., 7ID, PA; BGen. Cesar Molina PA, Dep. Cdr., North Luzon Command; Cdr. Bernard Ventura PCG, Dep. StaCom- PCG Zambales; and P/Col. Palmer Tria, Dep. Cdr, Sub-Task Force Disbandment of Private Armed Groups-NLuzon.
Dir. Nipal lauded the signatories of the Joint Declaration saying the action is so significant and considered heroic deed as such this will serve as big come-on for investors.
“This event is a significant status for Zambales being having with stable peace and security,” Nipal said. She added that this achievement not only serve the governor or his government, but most especially the people and community of the region.
Meanwhile, BGen. Molina expressed the commitment of the Philippine Army in supporting the effort of the government in preserving peace and protecting the people through community engagement.
For his part, Gov. Ebdane, congratulated the DILG and officers in uniform as he said that peace and security can be achieve only with teamwork, together with the police force, local officials, the armed forces and all other government agencies.
“It is so disheartening to fight with the rebels knowing they are also or brothers,” Ebdane narrated. Our country was so left behind in terms of economic development because of the problems brought by the skirmishes with the rebels all of course due to mistakes committed by previous leaders.
“I thanking the President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., for initiating the full investigation over the anomalies committed in the past, at least the people now feel that the government is committed the punish those involve in corruptions,” the governor continued.
Ebdane also calls on the armed forces and the police offices to cooperate with the community and media people, “If there is something happening, let them (media) know what is happening. If an ordinary person seek your help, hear their problem, by doing so, you already solved half of the problem.”
Meanwhile, the Joint Provincial Peace and Order Council- Provincial Anti-Drug Abuse Council-Provincial Task Force End Communist Armed Conflict- Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (PPOC-PADAC-PTF ELCAC- PDRRMC) passed a resolution on September 23, 2025, the State of Stable Internal Peace and Security in the province of Zambales and formally adopts the PNP-AFP Collaborative Efforts (PACE) as the primary inter-agency coordination mechanism for sustaining peace and security.
The resolution also named PPOC-PADAC-PTF ELCAC-PDRRMC as oversight body for the implementation of PACE in Zambales, ensuring that security operations and interagency activities remain aligned with the provincial peace and development priorities.
Gov. Ebdane, the concurrent chairman of the PPOC-PADAC-PTF ELCAC- PDRRMC, is the concurrent Chairman of the Regional Peace and Order Council in Central Luzon (R3).
