High school students get taste of military life
MILITARY LIFE. Brigadier Gen. Gerardo Layug, commander of the Philippine Army 301st Infantry Brigade based in Dingle, Iloilo, acts as mentor to Pia Mari Fernandez of Assumption Iloilo, who was the girl brigade commander, during the Boys and Girls Week. For five days, selected senior high school students saw for themselves the running of the day-to-day affairs of the military in Panay.
They experienced how to run a Philippine Army unit as part of the “Boys and Girls Week” activities of the Rotary Club of Iloilo.
Pia Mari Fernandez of Assumption Iloilo was the girl brigade commander of the 301st Infantry Brigade, opposite Brigadier Gen. Gerardo Layug.
During her stint, Fernandez stayed at Camp Hernandez in Dingle, Iloilo, where the 301st Brigade is based.
She was joined by Maj. Elden dela Cruz of Western Visayan College of Science and Technology, who served as logistics and supply officer; 1st Lt. Tiffany Hubines of Iloilo National High School, as civil military operations officer; and Maj. John Romeo Dominick Diño of West Visayas State University-Integrated Laboratory School, as administrative and personnel officer.
For the first time this year, the Philippine Army was included in the celebration of the “Boys and Girls Week.”
“We’re happy by this move because through the students, the young people would know what we do in the Philippine Army,” Layug said.
The girl and boy military officials were also briefed on the extent of functions of the different military officials.
All four students agreed that seeing how the Philippine Army act and decide on certain matters changed their perception about the military.
“We thought that it’s all about wars but we were wrong. There’s more to it than wars. They do medical missions and other stuff aside from using guns,” Diño said.
Hubines and De la Cruz said they learned that if ever the military goes to war, it is for peace to prevail.
Fernandez said her stint with the 301st Brigade was a whole new experience that turned out for the better.
“I’m not closing my doors; I might enter the military. I might take Political Science in college and I might enter the service if I become a lawyer,” she added.
Other boy and girl military officials include Adrian Dale Fufunan of San Jose Catholic School, who sat as boy commander of the 47th Infantry Battalion based in Camp Carreon in Calinog, Iloilo and John Gio Jastia, as his executive officer.
Jemar Nedola of St. Vicent Ferrer Seminary was named boy commander of the 82nd Infantry Battalion in Camp Monteclaro, Miag-ao, opposite Lt. Col. George Lalaquil. Nedola’s executive officer was his schoolmate Raymond Pasco.*
