Maguindanao del norte: The campaign against loose firearms in Maguindanao del Norte continues to gain ground as 600 assorted guns were presented to Western Mindanao Command (Westmincom) commander Lt. Gen. Donald Gumiran in Upi, Maguindanao del Norte. The initiative is part of the government's Assistance for Security, Peace, Integration, and Recovery for Advancing Human Security, or ASPIRE, program in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).

According to Philippines News Agency, the firearms, including mortar tubes and .50-caliber sniper rifles, were presented to Gumiran, also commander of the Army's 6th Infantry Division (6ID), during the ASPIRE Small Arms and Light Weapons Management Program held at the Upi municipal gymnasium. 'The ceremonial turnover of the weapons was more than just a simple event - it was a powerful statement that our people are ready to embrace peace, to lay down their arms, and to extend their hand in trust,' Gumiran said in a statement Friday.

Upi Mayor Rona Cristina, meanwhile, said that the surrender of loose firearms demonstrates their support for the government's peace program through the ASPIRE program, with support from the United Nations Development Program. 'We are (a) peace-loving people, we believe that a peaceful environment is conducive to development,' she said in a separate statement.

The Army's 57th Infantry Battalion collaborated with the Upi local government to encourage owners of loose firearms to surrender them in exchange for a livelihood package. Since 2024, more than 3,000 assorted guns have been surrendered, recovered, and confiscated in the area of operation of the 6ID, which includes the provinces of Maguindanao del Sur, Maguindanao del Norte, Sultan Kudarat, South Cotabato, and parts of Sarangani and North Cotabato.