The Story of 2Lt. Jun Corpuz, PMA’14

Last November 2, 2014, another Cavalier perished in the continuing war against terror- against the terrorist Abu Sayyaf Group. 2Lt. Jun Corpuz, 22, died very young- too early even for us who have been prepared and continuously told that soldiers do get killed in the battlefield. He just graduated from the PMA last March placing 13th among the 222-strong Class of 2014. 

Although I am a soldier, I am still shocked and saddened whenever I read or receive news of soldiers being killed in combat. They say it’s “all in a day’s work” but I think I would never really get used to it. Death is even more painful if it comes to someone whom you know, you care about or love. I did not personally know Lieutenant Corpuz. I have never met him but his life’s story is basically the story of many members of the Long Gray Line. 

Basilan's hero: Fresh PMA grad dies in Abu Sayyaf hands

(By Carmela Fonbuena; Published 9:28 PM, Nov 03, 2014; Updated 9:38 PM, Nov 04, 2014 http://www.rappler.com/nation/73900-fresh-pma-grad-dies)

MANILA, Philippines – It was only in March when 222 members of Philippine Military Academy "Siklab Diwa" Class of 2014 were throwing their graduation caps to celebrate the completion of their 4-year military courses. It was a moment when the class seemed oblivious to the controversy that gripped the nation back then – the dismissal of their classmate Cadet Jeff Cudia.

Seven months later, the class suffered its first loss. Second Lieutenant Jun Corpuz, 22, died on Sunday, November 2, in a clash with Abu Sayyaf in war-weary Sumisip, Basilan. (READ: Junior officer, 5 soldiers, killed in Basilan clash)

Soldiers die in battle all the time. But Corpuz was too young. He won't make it to his first alumni homecoming in February 2015. He's never even had a girlfriend, according to his mother Elizabeth.

“I thought I poured out all my tears yesterday. He was a good boy. He was never a headache. I will not forget him,” an emotional Elizabeth told Rappler in Ilocano on Monday, November 3.Jun was very close to his parents, who live in Bacnotan town in La Union. He spoke with them several times a day, thanks to the unlimited call promos by the networks. It was the birthday of his father Crecensio just last week, October 27, and Jun sent him a cash gift of P2, 000.

He always told his parents not to worry about him. "Mas tahimik sa Basilan kaysa sa Sulu (It's more peaceful in Basilan than in Sulu)," Elizabeth recalled Jun telling them.

He also spoke with them an hour before the 7:30 am attack on Sunday. It was a typical call. She was having her coffee and she was making sure that Jun had breakfast. She would learn about her son's death early in the afternoon.

Jun was a platoon leader of Alpha Company, 64th Infantry Battalion, 1st Infantry Division. It was his first assignment. And 5 of his men also died:

·         Sergeant Tranquilino Germo of Aleosan, Cotabato

·         Private First Class Rolando Entera Jr of Aleosan, Cotabato

·         Private First Class Freddie Pandoy of Aleosan, Cotabato

·         Private First Class Raffy Canuto of Lebak, Sultan Kudarat

·         Private First Class Mark Anthony Singson of Pigkawan, North Cotabato

Lieutenant Corpuz’s death reminds me of another Jun who fell in the Basilan-Sulu battlefield. In my previous articles (Last Taps: Remembering the Mandala Heroes), I wrote about my very own classmate 1Lt. Dhel Jun Evangelista who perished on August 12, 2009 in Tipo-Tipo, Basilan after a gallant stand against extremist rebels. The most recent (and I certainly hope the last) casualty the Class 2006 had was Cpt. Mark Gamboa who heroically died last September (See For Mark G.) in Lantawan, Basilan. Dulan Cordero, Roldan Samera, Eugene Pinera and Ermin Soloren also sacrificed their own lives for this cause. Other classes have had their own ‘share’ in the continuing conflict in that part of the country but I think the Mandalans have given the most number of young men there. Six Killed In Action. Some were lucky enough to have cheated death but were left with lasting marks on their bodies. Some were even luckier to have escaped unscathed. And some are still out there slugging it out with the bandits. While some of us are already doing desk jobs and pushing papers, some are still leading at the forefronts and pressing it on. They belong to those whom we really look up to. They know who they are.

The Army's history is replete with these kinds of stories. I was also a 2^nd Lieutenant in 2008 when I almost became just another ‘lesson learned’. A wayward bullet pierced my left arm and exited through the left side of my body narrowly missing my rib cage. A six-month confinement in the hospital temporarily took me out of the field but it didn’t bring back my original arm. The injury was so severe it cut both my ulnar and median nerves. Even the best nerve doctor was not able to put it back to its old form. Among many other things, I guess I will never be able to do pull-ups and rope-climb again. Lucky me, I am not a leftie. 

I’ve seen worse. I’ve seen and heard soldiers crying in pain that’s why I have never felt sorry for myself. I have never felt any anger towards whoever fired the lucky shot that almost killed me. Curiously, I’ve never even hated the rebels. I guess we were just on the different sides of the fence, fighting against each other in the name of our respective causes. We were both willing to die for our cause only that the guy who got me was quicker. Was I at the wrong place and at the wrong time during that instant? 

My only lamentation was that we were both brown-skinned. I am sure both of us also spoke Filipino or Tagalog. We were both Filipinos for God’s sake. We both live (or lived, if he's dead) in the Philippines.  But I think that’s just how it is. They broke the law of the land. Break the law and its long arms will go after you, at all cost.

I wish though that their bravery would be put into good use- in some other ways, in some other arenas. But certainly not against fellow Filipinos.

The scars that soldiers take back home with them from the battlefield are not only physical. Some of us suffer wounds not even the best doctors can heal- wounds invisible to the naked eye but not to a perceptive heart. Some have both physical and psychological wounds. Some are eventually healed but some are just too deep to reach, to severe to cure.

It is not only soldiers who suffer these wounds. Their families are sometimes left with greater pain and anguish. There is no sadder picture than a mother clutching a photo of his fallen son or daughter, or a father hugging the flag-draped coffin, a wife sobbing with her innocent children, a brother or sister who’s lost a sibling, a child who’s lost a father. 

When a wounded soldier lies on a hospital bed, nobody can give the best of care to him but his family. Not even the best nurses can give the most comforting touch a mother, a wife or a daughter can give. No amount of therapy can ever equal the words of a father telling his son “don’t give up, kaya mo yan”.

Jun’s family lost him too soon. He wanted to fulfill his dreams for them. He wanted to be the fulfillment of their dreams. But he already was. He already is. He has made his family prouder with his heroic death. Amidst the chaotic world that we live in, amidst the controversies our country is presently embroiled with, Jun and his soldiers proved that we can all be heroes in our own small or big ways, that we can all do our part in making this country peaceful and free. 

Indeed, they have done their part. And they did it the best way they can.

Mighty Mike: Not Just Another Story of Heroism

I woke up early this morning and immediately took to the computer looking for news articles related to the recent clashes between soldiers and the dreaded Abu Sayaff  bandits. Yesterday, my CO told me about the fate of the 1^st Scout Ranger Company. Accordingly, 5 Rangers were killed in a fierce fighting in Talipao Sulu. As my instinct would have it, I tried reaching my contacts in the Basilan-Sulu area to know what unit was engaged and who led it. After some attempts, nobody among them replied. I figured they must have been busy pursuing the bandits so I tried other channels. Finally, another friend, also a Ranger said it was Mike Asistores’ unit that figured in a 5-hour gun battle against about 300 bandits. Five Hours??? 300???Yes. You heard it right. But he can’t give me more details as he wasn’t there himself, so this morning, I Googled “soldiers killed in basilan-sulu”. And this was what got my attention:

Junior officer holds line in Sulu clash despite wound, appalling odds

By: Priam F. Nepomuceno, Agence France-Presse
November 16, 2014 3:34 AM  

MANILA, Philippines - Despite being wounded the third time in his seven-year military career, 1st Lt. Michael "Mike" Asistores, a member of Philippine Military Academy Class of 2007, did not flinch even one bit and continued fighting during the desperate clash with the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) bandits in Talipao, Sulu Friday.
His third battle wound took place two hours in desperate fight with the bandits. Asistores was first wounded in an encounter with New People's Army rebels in Lingig, Surigao Del Sur in 2008. He got his second combat wound in a three-hour encounter with Abu Sayyaf bandits in Al-Barka, Basilan in 2011.
Asistores, 30, said that they started engaging the ASG brigands around 2 p.m. As of this posting, the soldier is a combat leader of the 1st Scout Ranger Company.
He said that at about noontime on Friday, his soldiers crawled stealthily and came as close as 20 meters from the enemy positions in their forest lair at the foot of Mount Tunggul and Bud Bunga, which is located at the boundary of Talipao and Patikul.
"It was my recon elements, led by Lt. Dante "Esprite" Espiritu, who spotted the bandits in a makeshift hut. He radioed to me that they will initiate contact as one of the bandits unknowingly approached their hiding positions in order to relieve himself," Asistores recounted.
He also said that Espiritu could not wait for him and his group to link up as the bandits would surely detect them infiltrating.
At this point, Espiritu and his men opened fire, not knowing that around 300 ASG brigands were all holding positions in the terrain above them.
The bandits were led by ASG leader Radulan Sahiron a.k.a "Commander Putol", Hairullah Asbang, Jurim Hussein, Hatib Sawadjaan and Juli Ekit.
Minutes later, Espiritu was forced to call for reinforcements as two of his men were downed by ASG fire.
"I could hear Esprite's voice over the radio amidst the heavy volumes of fire from various directions. They were almost surrounded by the enemy," Asistores said.
At this time, he added that he and his men were only about a hundred meters in their designated rally point.
Having experienced the "pintakasi" (attack from all directions) tactics used by the ASG in Basilan, Asistores promptly assembled a platoon to help his heavily engaged comrades.
While approaching the encounter site about 20 minutes later, Asistores and his men spotted the bandits who attempted to outflank the position of Espiritu. They were about 100 meters apart.
"The bandits wanted to annihilate the platoon of 'Esprite' by attempting to surround them, so I positioned my platoon about 50 meters behind of the bandits to join the fight," he said.
Asistores said that he was surprised upon seeing the bandits assaulting his position despite being raked with gun fire.
"The young-looking bandits were very daring and unmindful of our fires. They kept running towards our position despite being hit repeatedly. They were very ferocious and daring," he said.
Finding himself being slowly overwhelmed by the enemy, Asistores called for more support from his battalion commander, Lt Col Eugene Boquio.
He also dispatched soldiers to collect the casualties from Espiritu's.
Seeing the dead and wounded soldiers around him, Asistores pressed the fight by rallying the remaining soldiers to hold their line to provide support as the casualties are being evacuated.
After two hours of exchanging gunfire with the bandits, Asistores was hit by a shrapnel but he maintained his composure to inspire his men.
"One of my team leaders, Sgt. Kitong, came to my side and helped me control our remaining troops. He was very concerned when he saw that I was already bloodied," said Asistores.
He also said that he was lucky to have brave NCO (non commissioned officer) leaders in his company.
"I credit my NCOs for keeping the integrity of my unit. Aside from Sgt Kitong, my platoon sergeant, SSgt Tumala, was among those who exhibited conspicuous courage by running from one team's position to another to provide leadership amidst the volley of fires," he said.
Kitong was among the 28 soldiers who were wounded during the 5-hour long firefight.
He sustained a gunshot wound on his abdomen when he was trying to carry one of the critically-wounded team member.
Kitong was first wounded as a private of the 10th Scout Ranger Company when he figured in a six-hour firefight against the Abu Sayyaf in Balatanay, Basilan in October 2001.
He was awarded his first Gold Cross Medal, the third highest combat medal for grabbing an M60 machinegun from the Abu Sayyaf in that encounter.
Meanwhile, Asistores said that the ASG "borrowed" their courage from the marijuana leaves that they smoked before the firefight. His men recovered some of the left-over of smoked marijuana in the encounter site.
"That solved the puzzle about their bravery in combat. They are drug-crazed fighters," he said.
Asistores said that he considers all five men who paid the ultimate sacrifice as his personal heroes.
"They have shown us that the true spirit of the Scout Rangers. Walang iwanan. (No one is left behind)They died fighting for the country with their combat boots on their feet," Asistores said.
He also said that he and his men who are now recuperating in the military hospital in Zamboanga, are all willing to come back to Sulu and rejoin their beloved unit.
"I will gladly go back and be with my men in the frontlines. We must crush the Abu Sayyaf and end its kidnapping business," Aristores said.
Col. Allan Arrojado, Joint Task Group Sulu commander, is confident that the military can gradually decimate the Abu Sayyaf ranks.
He also said that the Abu Sayyaf has nowhere to hide if the civilians will cooperate with the military in identifying them and pinpointing their jungle hideouts.
Latest information released by the military placed the death toll at 15, with five from the government side and 10 for the ASG with 28 soldiers and at least 30 from the bandits wounded.(http://www.interaksyon.com/article/99293/junior-officer-holds-line-in-sulu-clash-despite-wound-appalling-odds

Last night, I broke the news to my wife who is a good friend of Mike. And her reaction was "What? Wounded na naman? Thank God he is alive!".

Well, as the article said, he's been wounded three times already. His pretty-boy-matinee-idol looks have been punctured by bullets and shrapnel through the years- all for the love of country. Chick-magnet-turned-bullet-magnet.

We have been pushing him to get married already prior his stint in Basilan-Sulu. Actually, we did not know he was there until this news. As a Ranger, he was here and there. That's how they are-heroes in black suits.

I am not a Ranger myself. I have very high regards for these men who, most of the time, spend their lives behind enemy lines. They have so many stories to tell. Let's start with Mighty Mike A.

The Ruins: Ang Kwento sa Likod ng mga Kwento

Ang "The Ruins" sa Lungsod ng Talisay, Negros Occidental

 Nakapunta ka na ba sa Lungsod ng Bacolod, o sa anumang bahagi ng Isla ng Negros? Kung hindi pa ay simulan mo nang planuhing makaapak sa tinaguriang Kapital ng Asukal or Sugar Capital ng ating bansa. Ngunit bukod sa asukal at malalawak na mga pataniman ng tubo ay napakaraming tanawin pa ang makikita sa islang ito. Ako mismo ay namamangha sa tuwing may mga bago akong natutuklasang mga lugar sa ibat-ibang sulok ng isla.

Mula noong 2006 ay dito na ako halos nakatira sa Negros. Dito kasi ang unang destino ko bilang isang sundalo. Halos nalibot ko ang iba’t-ibang mga lungsod at bayan mula sa dulong hilaga hanggang sa gitna at sa katimugang bahagi ng Negros Occidental. Napadpad na rin ako sa Negros Oriental lalung-lalo na sa may bahagi ng una at pangalawang distrito nito. Nakasalamuha ko dito ang iba’t-ibang mga tao lalo na yaong mga naninirahan sa mga liblib na lugar at kabundukan. Doon kasi umiikot ang buhay namin- sa mga lugar kung saan may masasabing may suliraning pangseguridad. Ito yung mga lugar na tinatawag natin na vulnerable communities. Malimit ay kinakaharap nila ang karahasan, problemang pangkalusugan, kawalan ng edukasyon at syempre ang kawalan o kakulangan ng hustisya. Kahirapan ang karaniwang suliranin ng mga pamayanang nadaratnan namin. Isang mahabang usapin ito kaya’t hindi muna ‘yan ang isasalaysay ko.

Imahe mula sa Google Maps

Bagamat marami na akong napuntahang mga lugar ay iilan lamang sa mga ito ang kabilang sa mga lugar pang-turista o tourist spots. Halos wala naman kasi kaming panahon upang magliwaliw kapag nakadestino sa mga liblib na lugar. Mas ginugugol kasi namin ang aming mga oras sa paninilbihan sa mga komunidad o kaya naman ay sa pagsasanay. Bukod pa dito ay sadyang napakalalayo ng mga lugar-pasyalan. Kulang ang isa o dalawang araw upang sadyain ang mga natatanging pasyalan sa loob at labas ng Bacolod. Halimbawa, kung pupunta ka sa Punta Bulata at iba pang magagandang dalampasigan na matatagpuan sa bahagi ng Bayan ng Cauayan at Lungsod Sipalay ay halos tatlong oras na byahe mula sa Bacolod ang iyong bubunuin. Kung pupunta ka naman sa Mambukal Mountain Resort sa Bayan ng Murcia ay humigit kumulang apatnapu’t-limang minuto ang byahe kung mayron kang sariling sasakyan. Ang Campuestuhan Resort naman na isang kahanga-hangang lugar-pasyalan ay ganun din kahaba ang paglalakbay mula sa Bacolod. Subalit pagdating mo sa mga lugar na ito ay masasabi mo naming sulit na sulit ang iyong byahe sapagkat talaga namang magaganda at kaaya-aya ang mga ito.

 

Dalawang taon na ang nakalilipas simula nang mapasyalan ko kasama ng aking pamilya ang “The Ruins”. Ito ay isang makapigil-hiningang gusali na itinayo sa ngalan ng pag-ibig at iginupo naman ng poot ng digmaan. Matamis at masalimuot ang kwento sa likod ng gusaling ito na tinaguriang Taj Mahal ng Negros. Isa ito ngayon sa mga lugar na hindi nakakaligtaang dalawin ng mga turista sa Bacolod City at Negros. Naging saksi na rin ito sa napakaraming mga kasalan at iba’t-ibang mga okasyon. Marami na rin daw na mga kilalang tao ang dumalaw at pinahanga ng gusaling sa loob ng maraming dekada ay naging simbolo ng kayamanan at pagmamahalan.

Ayon sa salaysay, ang bahay na ito ay itinayo noong 1900’s ng isang mayaman at  makapangyarihang hacienderong si Don Mariano Ledesma Lacson (1865-1948)- para sa kanyang asawang si Maria Braga Lacson. Si Don Mariano na may dugong Pilipino-Kastila o Español ay isa sa mga nanguna noon sa industriya ng asukal at nagmamay-ari ng napakalawak na mga taniman ng tubo at pagawaan ng asukal. Si Maria naman ay isang Portugis mula sa Macau. Ang mansyon na kanyang ipinatayo ang siyang pinakamagara at pinakamalaking bahay sa buong lalawigan noon. Nakapaloob dito ang mga pinakamagaganda at pinakamamahaling mga mwebles at kagamitang pambahay na nagmula pa sa iba’t-ibang bahagi ng mundo. Sa labas naman ay matatagpuan ang napakagandang hardin na mayroong napakagarang fountain.  

   

 

Pinangunahan ng isa sa mga anak ng don ang pagtatayo ng gusali na ginamitan pa ng pinakamatitibay na kahoy at pangunahing uri ng semento at iba pang mga materyal. Sinasabing hindi mabilang na itlog ng manok ang ginamit upang pakintabin ang mga dinding nito. Hanggang sa ngayon ay damang-dama pa ng mga palad ang kinis ng mga dingding sa ilang bahagi ng gusali.

Bagamat ang gusali ay itinayo sa ngalan ng pag-ibig, iginupo naman ito ng galit at poot noong panahon ng digmaan. Ayon sa salaysay ay sinunog ito ng mga gerilyang Pilipino diumano sa utos na rin ng Don upang ito ay hindi mapakinabangan o  magamit bilang himpilan ng mga sundalong Hapon. Sa sobrang tibay at tatag ng gusali ay makailang ulit nila itong sinubukang sunugin ngunit nagtagumpay lamang sila pagkalipas ng tatlong araw. Pinaghalong langis at gasolina ang naging katapat ng makakapal na sahig na kahoy at bubungan na natupok ng lubusan pagkatapos ng tatlong araw na lagablab ng apoy. Subalit ang napakagarang hagdanan, ang mga haligi at dingding ay nanatiling nakatayo hanggang sa ngayon.

Sa tibay ng pagkakatayo ng gusali, pinatunayan mismo ng mga inhinyero na ito ay maaring pang gamitin o tirahan kung sakaling aayusin at ibabalik sa dating anyo. Maging mga arkitekto umano ay nagsasabing kakaiba ang disenyo ng nasabing gusali na maihahalintulad sa mga sikat na gusali na matatagpuan sa iba’t- ibang dako ng mundo.

Salamat na lamang sa mga kaanak ng dakilang Don na nakaisip na muling ibalik ang dating ganda at sigla ng bahay makalipas ang napakahabang panahong ito ay napabayaan at halos ibinaon sa limot. Bagamat hindi na maibabalik ang orihinal na anyo nito, sapat na ang ibukas ito sa publiko upang magsilbing alaala ng nakalipas. Ito rin ay isang inspirasyon sa ngalan ng pag-ibig, at paalaala naman sa kalupitan at hinagpis ng dulot ng digmaan.

Healing, Reconciliation and Empowerment: Winning the Peace Together

For so long a time, we have been systematically used by dubious organizations to propagate their twisted version of the truth. They made us believe that all propaganda coming from their mouths are for our own good. But where have they brought us? They used us- our innocence, our friendship, our vulnerability to promote their own agenda- that of violence and unrest. They have deceived us into believing that our government is inefficient and ineffective by exploiting worn- out issues. They made us believe that it is only these organizations that can save us from our woes, but what happened? Our lives become harder each day. We became poorer because of the lies they have spread. Their promises did not bring food to our tables. Their propaganda did not send our children to school. Their anger did not build our house.

 Now, we started healing the wounds we have sustained through the years. We have begun repairing broken relationships. We have started restoring old friendships that suffered as a result of their deception. We have begun regaining back the trust and confidence of each other which they have used to make us fight one another. We have taken small but firm steps towards healing the anger and hatred we have shown each other because of their.

 It has been a long and arduous journey for us. This time we started acknowledging our mistakes, our shortcomings, our wrong perceptions and misconceptions. Nowadays, I can confidently say that we have become  enlightened and educated citizens. We did nothing extraordinary. We did nothing superficial but to embrace nothing but the truth.   

 This truth has become the foremost foundation of our RECONCILIATION. There can never be reconciliation without acceptance or acknowledgement of the truth. We have acknowledged our wrongs; we have recognized our faults. That is the first step towards reconciliation.

 Let us let go of our anger and hatred towards each other. Let us move on and forgive each other. Let us move forward by serving justice to those who need and deserve it. But justice can only be served if we respect one another; if we respect each other’s rights. 

 With truth and justice, we can be assured of a community in harmony- one where everybody has a genuine concern for each other. Where truth, justice and harmony reside, reconciliation shall thrive. Where reconciliation thrives, peace reigns. Where peace reigns, progress begins.

  Imagine a community where people thrive without conflict but understanding; without scars of anger or hatred but only healed wounds and strengthened relationships; without violence or fear but only truth, justice, and peace.

 It might sound so ideal but it is achievable nonetheless. That is why we are here to empower each other- to teach ourselves to continue the healing that we have started; to sustain the reconciliation that we have initiated; and to become the community that we have always wanted. Through our concerted efforts- we are helping each other rebuild our own lives by capitalizing on the programs our government has to offer. We are here because we want our families to have better lives. We are here because we know our worth as members of the community. We are here because we believe in us- in our capacity to become better individuals and productive citizens who can contribute to our nation’s progress.

 Let us continue the journey we have started. Let us move together towards the realization of our dreams to brighten up the future of our children. Let us commit ourselves to this humble but noble cause of fostering peace and harmony in our society.

 Let us bind ourselves to a code of conduct of non-violence and declare our resolute faith in the achievement of a genuine and long lasting peace. Let us bind ourselves to peace not only for our own sake but for the future generations.

 I pledge myself to a life of non-violence...a life of peace. I hope you will too!

The Kabalikat sa Kabuhayan Program: Planting Seeds of Peace in Grassroots Communities

The students were all beaming with pride as they proudly greeted guests arriving at their campus. They were all wearing blue shirts with matching native hats. The weather was neither sunny nor gloomy and the atmosphere was festive. It was their graduation day and they were all ecstatic at the prospect of receiving their certificates of graduation. It had the looks and mood of a school graduation except that the students were clad in farming attires rather than black or white togas, and the campus was in the midst of grassland converted into a farm-school at Sitio Muscovado in Brgy. Poblacion, Toboso Negros Occidental.

It was a Harvest Festival. Assorted vegetables, green and leafy ones, were on display at the makeshift display stands fashioned out of bamboos and other native materials. The bitter gourds, white gourds, lettuce, squash, peppers, water spinach (upland kangkong), string beans, okras, and eggplants tempted the guests to take home some. The watermelons and honeydews were as mouth-watering. And they were all organically produced by the students in the self-styled “Wellness Farm”.

The farmer-students comprise the 164 participants of the Kabalikat sa Kabuhayan Organic Farming Training Program- a 12 week farmers’ (and aspiring farmers) training jointly conducted by the SM Foundation Inc., Department of Agriculture, Department of Social Welfare and Development, Harbest Agribusiness Corporation, Provincial Government of Negros Occidental, Local Government Unit of Toboso, and the Philippine Army’s 303^rd Brigade and 62^nd Infantry Battalion. It aims to help local farmers improve and increase their productivity and income by conducting training on various farming techniques. The training includes the application of modern farming methods and technology. It also aims to promote organic farming particularly on the use of organic pesticides and fertilizers among others.

Benjamin Buenavista, a resident of Brgy Salamanca, Toboso and one of the students of who completed the three-month program said he was elated with his newfound skills on organic farming. While still a student, he has already started planting his own garden with a variety of vegetables including bell peppers. Buenavista, a widower and an Agrarian Reform Beneficiary (ARB), said he was thankful for the KSK program and he plans to put up a cooperative back in his community so that he would be able to use and impart to others what he has learned from the training. He said some of his neighbors were regretful for failing to join the training after he told them of its benefits. There originally 208 of them when the program started but others dropped-out along the way.

Davien Pation, the principal trainer and technician from Harbest said the training program consisted mainly of short lectures and focused on actual or hands-on training. With the help of the Municipal Agriculture Office (MAO) and LGU, they converted a half-hectare of grassland owned by the Municipal Government of Toboso into a   field school where they conducted group-based learning process effectively applying Benjamin Franklin’s famous words-“tell me and I forget, teach me and I may remember, involve me and I learn“. Pation said it made the students more responsive as it was also an interactive learning experience.  The class met every Wednesday for 12 consecutive weeks.  

Collaborative effort

The program was a collaborative effort of different organizations. SMFI provided for all funding requirements for the training and tapped Harbest Agribusiness Corporation for the materials to include seeds, fertilizers and other farm inputs. Farm technicians who served as the students’ instructors were also provided by Harbest. The Department of Agriculture through the MAO and the LGU provide technical assistance, training venue and the actual demo- farm used for the training. The LGU together with the Barangay Councils also helped in providing ample water supply, even occasionally tapping the services of the fire department for that purpose. It also provided transportation assistance to the students who came from different communities of the municipalities of Toboso and Calatrava, and City of Escalante. 

On the other hand, the SMFI which represents the country’s biggest chain of malls and supermarkets including the Hypermart and Supermart is the program’s market arm. The foundation assured marketing assistance to successful farmers who graduated from KSK if they opt to enter into commercial vegetable production. Ms. Cristie Angeles of SMFI and the KSK Project Director noted the lack of vegetable supplies in the public markets of the municipalities and city mentioned and even in the neighboring towns. She said she hopes that with the program, there would be a renewed vigor for local vegetable farmers to produce quality vegetables for the local markets. She also said that locally produced vegetables should take the place of vegetables brought in from farther areas noting that it would significantly help the local economy. 

Guv pledges help

The culmination of the training was highlighted by the presence of Governor Alfredo Marañon Jr., Mayor Richard Jaojoco of Toboso, Col. Jon Aying of 303^rd Brigade and Maj. Gen. Rey Leonardo Guerrero of the Army’s 3^rd Infantry Division. Governor Marañon exalted the sponsors and organizers for coming up with the program which he said will inspire Negrenses to appreciate and embrace farming as a means to better one’s socio-economic condition. He even said a farmer can earn as much as 500,000 pesos for every hectare of land if he knows how to use it well. He also pleaded with the graduates to redeem the lands they have acquired through the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP) which have been pawned to others for a meager amount and plant vegetables instead. He promised help to those who will engage in vegetable farming as he sampled a slice of watermelon harvested from the farm.

Farmer-soldiers

Meanwhile, also noticeable among the graduates were a handful of soldier-farmers who trained and at the same time assisted the students throughout the duration of the program. Col. Jon Aying, the man behind the Negros Occidental Provincial Wellness Program and the Wellness Farm concept was all smiles when he said the soldiers were part of a special team of the Army who specializes in Bayanihan activities. Colonel Aying who is a passionate farmer himself said their job was to assist communities in resolving basic issues affecting households and communities such as hunger and poverty by working closely with different stakeholders. They are immersed in far-flung communities where they represent the government and serve as the bridge between the communities and service providers such as Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR), DA and DSWD. During the KSK training, they had to fetch drums and drums of water every day to water the plants since the students only went there once a week. “We stayed near the farm during the last 3 months to secure the students and at the same time help them in their training. We too learned a lot from the program”, one of young soldiers said. “I will consider farming once I retire. I think it has lots of potential”, another soldier retorted in Hiligaynon.

Lt. Col. Rommel Cordova, the Commanding Officer of 62^nd IB who oversaw the entire program, said that aside from the manpower assistance, his battalion also provided vehicles and fuel for transporting the students to and from their respective barangays every time they had classes. They also gave free lunch for the trainees all of whom came from poor families. Majority of the participants volunteered to join the program after they attended the Community Development Planning conducted by the Provincial Peace, Integration and Development Unit (ProPIDU) a few months ago. CDP stemmed out from the participatory rural appraisal conducted to assess a community’s needs, issues and concerns with the active involvement of the residents themselves.

Buyers’ forum

Angeles who has been with the foundation for 18 years, encouraged the graduates to dream, and dream big just like SM’s founder, Henry Sy who was able to transform a shoe retail store into the country’s biggest store. Arsenio Barcelona, a proud Negrense and President of HARBEST challenged his ‘kababayans’ to make their lands productive and become self-sufficient. He lamented at how lands are not being optimized because farmers lack knowledge on farming techniques. 

     Angeles also facilitated a buyer’s forum together with the SM Food Group. Representatives from the said group who came all the way from their main office in Manila gave informative talks on marketing techniques and SM’s vegetable requirements. In Negros Occidental alone, they have several stores that need local vegetable suppliers to cater to their needs, they said. The forum was highlighted by the distribution of gift packs and fun games led by SMFI staff. The Provincial Health Office also conducted free medical consultation and check-up.

Pledge for Peace

          During the graduation ceremony, the participants declared themselves as members of peace communities and pledged an oath to non-violence. They are now part of a growing number of peace communities all over Negros Occidental who have committed themselves to the pursuit of peace. Mayor Jaojoco led the oath-taking and the signing of the declaration of the peace communities.

Educational Tour

The following day, the new graduates were brought to Bacolod City for a special tour of the Provincial Capitol Complex, SM Supermarket, Bacolod Central Market and Mambukal Resort. They also toured the Army’s Headquarters in Brgy. Minoyan, Murcia where the Negros First-Army Wellness Farm is located. There were met by former rebels who are now employed as farm assistants. Aside from providing alternative source of livelihood for former rebels, the said farm also provides psychosocial healing for their families to help them return to the mainstream society.

“We are here to make them feel that they are not left behind or neglected by our government. We will never run out of new approaches to help in making their lives better. This is our humble contribution to winning the peace in Negros”, Colonel Aying said.