The commander of the Philippine Army had lauded the 10th Infantry Division and all of its component-units for having secured via backchannel efforts the surrender of more than 600 members of the now weakened New People’s Army in the past four years.

Radio reports in Cotabato City on Sunday morning, July 27, stated that the Philippine Army’s chief, Lt. Gen. Roy Galido, had personally attached citation sashes, in recognition of the feat, to the banners of the 10th ID’s 1001st, 1003rd and 701st Infantry Brigades and the 25th, 27th, 28th, 39th, 48th, 60th, 66th and 67th Infantry Battalions during his visit to the division’s headquarters at Camp General Manuel Yan in Mawab, Davao de Oro on Friday, July 25.

Major Gen. Allan Hambala, commander of the 10th ID, said local executives and leaders of different indigenous groups in Regions 10, 11 and 13 were also instrumental in helping them convince hundreds of NPAs to renounce their membership with the group and pledge allegiance to the government.

In a message while at 10th ID’s headquarters, Galido urged officials and personnel of the division and its component-units to sustain their multi-sector peacebuilding initiatives and maintain professionalism in carrying out their peacekeeping missions in towns and cities covered by the division.

Hambala reported to Galido then that the 10th ID, local government units and the police had together cleared, in the past two years, from NPA occupation no fewer than 50 guerilla enclaves in hinterland areas.

The NPA members who yielded to units of the 10th ID had been reintroduced to mainstream society with the help of different government agencies, municipal, city and provincial officials.

Photo show Galido tying a special citation sash to the banners of a unit of the 10th ID during his visit to the division’s headquarters in Mawab, Davao de Oro last Friday. (July 28, 2025, Cotabato City, Bangsamoro Region, Southern Philippines)