Baybay City earns stable internal peace and security area declaration

TACLOBAN CITY, Oct. 25 (PNA) -- The Philippine Army’s 802nd Brigade has declared Baybay City as stable internal peace and security (SIPS) area, a step away from being declared as insurgency-free.

Some parts of Baybay City’s upland villages are formerly known as hotbed of communist insurgents. Although armed rebels were sighted in these areas, there had been no firefight between government troops and rebels.

The SIPS declaration would mean economic stability since it will attract more investment and generate jobs, said 802nd Brigade Commander Col. Francisco Mendoza.

Baybay City hosts one the world’s biggest virgin coconut oil producers and suppliers of certified organic coconut oil by at least three international standards setting organization - the SC Global Oil Corporation located in Caridad village.

The company also supplies banana chips to international market.

Another major industry in Baybay City is the Specialty Pulp Manufacturing, Inc, that processes high-quality specialty pulp made mainly from Manila hemp or abaca fiber. The firm supplies raw materials for currency production to Hong Kong and Japan.

Recently, the city government signed a memorandum of agreement with officials of the Metro Retail Stores Group for the setting up a branch of the retail giant.

Baybay City Mayor Carmen Cari welcomed the SIPS declaration and hopes that the status would result in more development in upland villages.

The declaration will also support the local government’s tourism campaign promoting the city as one of the top destinations in Eastern Visayas.

The city offers tourist destinations such as the Lintaon peak, which is comparable to Tagaytay. Other attractions are heritage sites at the city center where houses from Spanish to American and Japanese Era are well-preserved.

The city is also a popular destination during Lenten season where pilgrims from other parts of the country visit St. Anthony de Padua in Pomponan village.

Baybay City, the third largest city in Eastern Visayas in terms of land area, also hosts the Visayas State University, one of the premier universities in Southeast Asia for agriculture research.

The city is also the home of Mount Pangasugan, the last remaining rainforest in the Philippines and the last forest frontier in Eastern Visayas where animal species listed by the World Conservation in the Red List of Threatened Animals are found. (PNA)

LAP/SQM/ROEL T. AMAZONA/EGR