Salvador, Lanao del Norte  – In his speech during the eight refilling anniversary of the Army’s 35th Infantry Battalion held last July 16 at Camp Allere, Salvador, Gov. Governor commended the army battalion on its active role in promoting peace and reconciliation in its area of operation.

“We are very happy with the performance of our military here in the province. They are not only our trusted peace keepers but our reliable peace builders as well”, Gov. Dimaporo declared.

Presently, the area of operation of the 35th Infantry (Makamandang) Battalion covers 13 municipalities of Lanao del Norte namely the 8 coastal towns of Bacolod, Maigo, Kolambugan, Tubod, Baroy, Lala, Kapatagan and Sultan Naga Dimaporo, and the 5 interior municipalities of Tangkal, Magsaysay, Sapad, Nunungan and Salvador.

Aggressively implementing their Community Organizing for Development thru Empowerment (CODE) concept, a brainchild of its present leadership headed by Lt. Col. Ferdinand Razalan, the Makamandag Battalion has been able to maximize the impact of its civil-military initiatives which have consequently isolated the threat groups in its AOR and further improve the security situation of the province.

Prior to the anniversary culmination program, several activities have been launched with the support of the local government units (LGUs), line government agencies (LGAs), civil society organizations (CSOs), non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and other stakeholders. These activities include blood-letting, medical civic action programs in Nunungan and Magsaysay, squad challenge, and an inter-company basketball tournament.   

The Makamandag Battalion uses 20 percent of its efforts in combat or military actions in fighting crimes, terrorism, and insurgencies while the remaining 80 percent is devoted purely for civil-military relations.

“The evolving role of the soldier reflects his dynamic response to the subtle mutations of his adversary. The colorful history of the Makamandag Battalion is testament to this evolution. And the peace and security that our people now enjoy are the sweet fruits of the heroic of the 35th Infantry Battalion”, Dimaporo concluded.

Present also during the culmination program were Provincial Legal Officer Jonathan Puno and MGen. Romeo Lustestica, Commander of the 1st Infantry Division. VNL/PIO-LDN