DATU BLAH SINSUAT, Maguindanao del Norte โ Filipino and American troops conducted a joint sea-to-shore anti-terror assault drill and artillery fire exercise on Wednesday, April 9, in a quiet coastal village in this provinceโs fishing capital.
The drills, held in Barangay Penansaran, were part of Marine Exercise 2025, a bilateral training operation between the Philippine and United States governments, which kicked off nearly two weeks ago in the upland town of Barira.
Most Peaceful Town in Mguindanao del Norte
For residents of Datu Blah Sinsuat โ widely regarded as the most peaceful municipality in Maguindanao del Norte โ the event was both rare and spectacular. Locals, including Maguindanaon and non-Muslim Teduray villagers, witnessed high-speed watercraft maneuvers and a simulated terrorist landing scenario along their shoreline.
The joint exercises were conducted under the coordination of the Philippine Marine Corps and its U.S. counterpart, with support from the Philippine Armyโs 6th Infantry Division, the Philippine Coast Guard, and the Police Regional Office of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).
Present during the event were top military officials, including Western Mindanao Command chief Lt. Gen. Antonio Nafarrete, Rear Admiral Francisco Tagamolila Jr. of the Naval Forces Western Mindanao, and Brig. Gen. Hubert Acierto, commander of the Philippine Army Artillery Regiment.
โWe are grateful to the municipal government of Datu Blah Sinsuat and Mayor Marshall Sinsuat for their support,โ said Nafarrete, referring to the mayorโs leadership of the townโs multi-sectoral peace and order council.
The 6th Infantry Division, under Major Gen. Donald Gumiran, exercises operational control over Marine Corps units securing several towns in the province, including Barira, Matanog, Parang, Sultan Kudarat, Sultan Mastura, Datu Odin Sinsuat, and Datu Blah Sinsuat.
Also overseeing the joint drill was Brig. Gen. Romulo Quemado of the Navyโs 1st Marine Brigade.
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Business Welcomes Anti-terror Drill
Datu Blah Sinsuat is formerly a stronghold of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF), which signed a peace agreement with the Philippine government in 1996. Today, both MNLF and Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) leaders are helping run the five-year-old BARMM regional government.
For the local business community, the anti-terror drill was a welcome sight.
Ronald Hallid Torres, chair of the Bangsamoro Business Council, said the joint military drills helped change outdated perceptions of instability in the area.
โThese American troops would not be here conducting these drills if Maguindanao del Norte werenโt peaceful,โ Torres said. โThis sends a strong message to investors and the rest of the country.โ
The Bangsamoro Business Council represents business sectors across the BARMM provinces of Maguindanao del Norte, Maguindanao del Sur, Lanao del Sur, Basilan, and Tawi-Tawi, as well as the cities of Cotabato, Lamitan, and Marawi.
