199 new soldiers finish 6-month military training

TACLOBAN CITY – A new breed of soldiers (privates) recently finished their six months basic military training course trained with jungle warfare mountain operation course spearheaded by the 8th Infantry Division.

The 199 new privates, 13 of them are from Luzon, 24 from Mindanao, with the rest coming from Samar, Leyte, Biliran, Cebu and Panay Island with their educational background varies from high school graduates (57), college undergraduates (30), college graduates (32), criminologist (1) and two registered nurses.

Aside from basic military training the soldier’s course was also incorporated with basic civil military operation and observance of human rights based on International Humanitarian Law, said Colonel Alejandro Nacnac of the 8th Infantry Division Civil Military Operation Office.

In this batch graduation, media icon and talent manager Boy Abunda was the guest speaker of the graduation ceremony that includes ceremonial entrustment of firearms by the civilian to the new Philippine Army graduates.

In his speech, Abunda emphasized to the young soldiers the value of courage, trust and accountability of handling their firearms upon bringing the peace and order of our country.

“When you are entrusted to carry firearms, you are supposed to maintain peace. You are supposed to protect this country from internal and external invaders. You are not supposed to create bloodshed but to prevent it. You are not supposed to have power over another person’s life but to have restrained from it. And young soldiers, whatever it cost, for the sake of peace, as you carry your firearms, we cannot give up on peace,” Abunda said.

“Whatever happens, you and I will do everything within our power to have peace,” he added.

He also shared his experiences to the new soldiers on how to be a strong man and not to be hopeless in achieving their goals in life.

“We are so interconnected; we should be celebrating commonalities rather than insisting differences because at the end of the day we are similar,” Abunda said adding that in the seeking to have peace and security it is not only the job of military but including the community.