Battle men support HEAT
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Soldiers have supported Gov. Edgar Chatto’s development battlecry
HEAT Bohol, drawing a parallel advocacy program that portrays them
as troopers for sustained peace and sustainable progress.
The governor has coined HEAT for Health and sanitation, Education
and technology, Agriculture and food production, Tourism and
livelihood.
The 2nd Special Forces Battalion and 802nd Infantry Brigade have
launched what their top officials appropriately term the “SUPPORT
HEAT Bohol.”
The acronym means “Soldiers United for Peace, Progress and Other
Reforms Through HEAT Bohol.”
The mayors, meanwhile, adhered to the strategies of HEAT during
their league officers’ oath-taking before the governor at Capitol on
Monday. Loay Mayor Rosemarie Imboy and Trinidad Mayor Roberto
Cajes are the league’s president and executive vice president,
respectively.
The advocacy program of the soldiers will be implemented through
projects and services which are within the scope of the mandate of
the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).
The health and sanitation area involves the soldiers’ medical mission
and cleanliness drive in tie up with the provincial government, other
local government units, agencies, non-government organizations and
other stakeholders.
Education and technology involve information and awareness
campaigns in schools “to prevent the youths from being misguided
by unscrupulous individuals or organizations into joining groups that
have adverse intentions such as those which are against the national
stability and sovereignty.”
The area includes youth leadership summit, an AFP program in
coordination with the LGUs starting in 2005.
In the summit, student leaders and out-of-school youths gather
together in three days to interact and be educated on government
programs. They formulate their own action plan for their good and of
the nation.
Soldiers count themselves in the pre-class opening bayanihan project
Brigada Eskwela of the Department of Education (DepEd).
Army camps will have backyard gardens and small farms that can
help provide food not just to the soldiers, civilian auxiliaries and their
families but also the members of the community if possible. Animals
will be raised, too.
Agriculture and food production are further pursued thru the soldiers’
sustained supervision of the Kauban sa Reporma farms being
cultivated by the rebel returnees in the military reservation in Carmen.
On tourism and livelihood, the military forces will continue
implementing the Sub-contracting Program for Innovation (SPIN) for
the rebel returnees.
Coordinated by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), the
program provides the rebel returnees and their families with livelihood
like the manufacture of export quality baskets and other handicrafts.
There will be frequent security patrols in areas frequented by tourists.
These include shoreline and inter-island patrols.
The soldiers will dignify the environment thru tree
planting, “scubasurero” activities and many other programs to
enhance eco-tourism, a magnifier for the splendid attainment of the
vision for Bohol as a prime destination in the country. (Ven rebo
Arigo)
