MANILA, March 19 -- The declaration of Surigao del Norte as an insurgency-free province highlights the government's ongoing efforts against the New People's Army (NPA) and its allies, National Security Adviser (NSA) Eduardo Ano said.

"This achievement is commendable and marks a significant milestone in defeating communist terrorism in Eastern Mindanao. Indeed, the CPP-NPA-NDF (Communist Party of the Philippines-NPA-National Democratic Front) is on the retreat all over the country," he said in a statement Monday night.

Surigao del Norte, a former hotbed of insurgency in Mindanao, was declared an insurgency-free province last March 15.

For this victory, Ano lauded the efforts of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Confli...