Tribal leaders in Talaingod, Davao del Norte, describe their communities as peaceful after years of being a battleground for communist recruitment and skirmishes between the military and the New People’s Army. According to Datu Gusting Dawsay, an IP elder of the Ata-Manuvu tribe, the municipality is steadily developing due to improved peace and security, with the youth now able to attend school without fear of recruitment by armed groups. The absence of active conflict has allowed residents to return to their normal daily lives, and the community is confident in its ability to protect its territory from armed groups. Talaingod was once a hotbed of communist activity, but it was declared insurgency-free in 2022, and the “whole-of-nation” approach through the NTF-ELCAC has contributed to the shift in the security situation, with hundreds of former rebels surrendering to the 56th Infantry Battalion between 2019 and 2023.
