Aiming to continually harmonize the province's peace and order and anti-illegal drug efforts towards attaining socio-economic development, the Joint Provincial Peace and Order Council (PPOC) - Provincial Anti-Drug Abuse Council (PADAC) - Provincial Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (PTF ELCAC) headed by Governor Hermogenes E. Ebdane Jr., together with the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Zambales led by Provincial Director Armi V. Bactad, convened on March 2, 2022 at Balin Sambali, Iba, Zambales and via zoom meeting application.

 In his message, Governor Hermogenes E. Ebdane Jr. emphasized the importance of observing health protocols amidst easing up COVID-19 Alert Level System in the province, to cope up with the current situation and reminded everyone the significance of discipline, which Governor Ebdane said, is not only for ourselves but for our family too. Governor Ebdane also thanked all the council members for their all-out support to all peace and order programs against illegal drugs, criminality, terrorism and insurgency in the province.

"Alam ko naiinis na kayo sa kakulitan ko, I am the Governor, not just the chairman of the PPOC or POC, but [also] I care for the lives of the people......You better solve the problem before it happens. If we can solve the problem before they happen, [it] is much better than reacting to the problem when it has already arrived ", Governor Ebdane said as the provincial government looks forward to its more pro-active COVID-19 response in the province.

A total of 735,990 doses of COVID-19 vaccines were allocated for the Province of Zambales from March 2021 up to present as discussed by Nurse III Ivan Joseph Dilag of the Provincial Health Office (PHO) on the presentation on the status of the implementation of Vaccination Program in the Province. Various programs were also presented such as BakunITA, HATID BAKUNARANGAKDA, islaBAKUNA, RESBAKUNARANGAKDA and iBaytan Botolan programs as provincial government response initiatives to the covid outbreak and in order to fast track the COVID-19 vaccines utilizations.

Likewise, update on the status of peace and order and border control in Zambales, report on the observance of the Fire Prevention Month, current situation regarding the threats on terrorism and insurgency, ending local communist armed conflict and barangay drug clearing were presented by PCOL Fitz A. Macariola, Provincial Director of Zambales Police Provincial Office (ZPPO), Supt Jeannette D. Jusayan, Provincial Fire Director of Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), LT. COL Eugene Henry Z. Cabusao, Battalion Commander of 3rd Mechanized Infantry Battalion of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and IA V Jigger B. Juniller, Provincial Officer of Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), respectively.

Meanwhile, Local Government Operations Officer (LGOO) II Paulin Johanne L. Reyes of Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), presented the detailed updates on the implementation of Retooled Community Support Program (RCSP), Capacitating Urban Communities for Peace and Development (CUCPD) and Support to Barangay Development Program (SBDP) as well as the indicative timeline for the conduct of the Peace and Order Council (POCs) Performance Audit for FY 2019 and 2021 that aims to assess the functionality of the council. In addition, LGOO II Reyes highlighted the updates on the inventory of vaccinated Local Officials and National Government Agencies (NGAs) in Zambales.

Moreover, Provincial Director Melanie Grace T. Romero of Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) presented the poverty reduction, livelihood and employment cluster (PRLEC) updates which focused on the development of communities through harmonized and culturally responsive programs.