PARTNERSHIP. Lt. Gen Ernesto Torres Jr., commander of the Northern Luzon Command (Nolcom), discusses with National Intelligence Coordinating Agency (NICA) Regional Director Ma. Luisa de Guzman ways to strengthen their collaborative efforts to pursue peace and development campaigns. De Guzman, together with personnel from NICA-Central Luzon, was welcomed by Torres and the command staff of Nolcom at its headquarters in Camp Aquino in San Miguel, Tarlac on Wednesday (Feb. 2, 2022). (Photo courtesy of Nolcom) CAMP AQUINO, Tarlac - The Northern Luzon Command (Nolcom) and the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency (NICA) have vowed to strengthen collaborative efforts to pursue peace and development campaigns. A social media post by Nolcom said NICA Regional Director Ma. Luisa De Guzman visited this camp on Wednesday, during which she extended her full support to the campaign of the Nolcom against terrorism. As part of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict's (NT
ASG SURRENDERERS. Two Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) rebels (5th and 6th from right) surrender on New Year's Day (Jan. 1, 2022) to military authorities in Talipao, Sulu to live new lives anew in mainstream society. The two surrendered amid the implementation of the Mass Base Operations and Community Support Programs by troops the Army's 2nd Special Forces Battalion in the area. (Photo courtesy of the 2SFB) ZAMBOANGA CITY - Two Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) bandits have surrendered amid the implementation of the Army's Mass Base Operations (MBO) and Community Support Programs (CSP) in Barangay Upper Sinumaan in Talipao, Sulu, military officials announced Monday. Brig. Gen. Eugenio Boquio, 1101st Infantry Brigade commander, received the two ASG surrenderers, Sibakkal Salahuddin alias Tuan Mawang, 66; and Isbain Sakilan, 49, who yielded on New Year's Day in Sitio Timpuad, Upper Sinumaan. Boquio said the two surrenderers revealed during the initial debriefing that they joined the ASG to s
PHOTO OF THE YEAR. Two healthcare front-liners sitting in front of Northern Mindanao Medical Center in Cagayan de Oro City wait for the service vehicle that will transport them to another coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) isolation facility last August. The photo, which encapsulates the year 2021 in Northern Mindanao, won first place in the Region 10 Photo Contest of the Civil Service Commission last September. (Photo courtesy of Isabelle Czarina Soriano) CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY - Some would consider 2021 to be an unfortunate extension of 2020 as the country continued to fight off the coronavirus disease 2019. But not everything in 2021 was bad news for Northern Mindanao as the year also saw milestones in peace and order in the region, and homegrown talents conquering the global stage. Aside from the pandemic, another health obstacle faced by the region was the African swine fever (ASF). First reported in 2020 in Iligan City, ASF cases were eventually recorded in February 2021 in the hin
Brig. Gen. Nolasco A. Mempin (Contributed photo) MANILA - The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) announced that Brig. Gen. Nolasco A. Mempin formally assumed the post of deputy chief of staff for Civil-Military Operations or J-7 Wednesday. He replaced Maj. Gen. Benedict Arevalo who was appointed as 3rd Infantry Division commander. Vice Admiral Erick Kagaoan, AFP deputy chief-of-staff, presided over the Change-of-Chief of Office ceremonies which took place at Silid Lapu-Lapu at AFP headquarters in Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City. "With his impressive track record, we are certain that Brig. Gen. Mempin is equipped with a wide range of knowledge and wisdom that will further steer OJ7 into achieving both its office strategic goals and its Civil Military Operations mandate," he added, Mempin is the former commander of the 103rd Infantry Brigade, 10th Infantry Division. As head of the brigade, he led the crafting of numerous peace and development programs anchoring on his brigade