Battle men support HEAT

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, 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)