Defense Center – Mayor Reynaldo F. Constantino (standing right) gives instructions to Municipal Planning and Development Officer Nonito Nunez to facilitate the creation of AFP- Reserve Command Center in Malungon town as 2nd Lt. Mervin Rosal, exec-officer of the 1205th, 12RCDC reserve command (2nd-L) and S/Sgt. Jose Noe Lozada attentively listen during a recent visit of ARESCOM officers with the mayor. (JoJo Gocotano- MALUNGON INFORMATION OFFICE/ ippalma).
MALUNGON, Sarangani – LOCAL government officials here are setting up a center for Army Reserve Command (ARESCOM) which will be conducting training on disaster, rescue and relief operations among barangay officials and selected participants.
Municipal Planning and Development Officer Nonito Nunez said local and provincial officials lead by boxing icon and Sarangani Rep. Manny D. Pacquiao, who is himself an Army Sergeant Major reservist, will officially grace the inauguration of the first Sarangani-based Arescom center at the municipal gymnasium here early next month.
He said they are just awaiting instructions from Mayor Reynaldo “Bong” Constantino as to the final arrangement of the activity.
“The honorable mayor had already expressed his full support for the creation of the Arescom unit in town,” said Nunez, who was tasked by Mayor Reynaldo F. Constantino to oversee the project.
He said the establishment of the Army reservist center here came after the local government and the 1205th Community Defense Center, ARESCOM, are set to conduct training for Army reservist recruits who will be tasked to carry out disaster, rescue and relief operations in the event of calamities in the locality.
The Army Reserve Command, which is currently composed of 10 infantry standby divisions and 14 regional community-based defense groups in the country, plays a major support command to the Armed Forces.
Constantino said the presence of the Army’s 1002nd brigade under the command of Col. Glorioso Miranda and the establishment of the ARESCOM center in town will serve as a strong deterrence against the intrusion of lawless groups into the locality and also compliment the various medical outreach that would benefit the poor Sarangans.
“The establishment of military forces in our municipality is an assurance of peace and prosperity for us Malungonians. So there’s no reason on my part to refuse the recruitment of Army reservists from our locality in a bid to defend my people, especially those who live from the far flung villages,” Constantino said.
Malungon, a landlocked town that lies at the northwestern part of Sarangani, is predominantly occupied by tribal people belonging to the B’laan and the Taga-Kaulo tribes.
Officials said the establishment of ARESCOM will be stretched throughout the entire province of Sarangani, specifically at the MAKIMA Area (Maasim, Kiamba and Maitum) where fierce fighting between the AFP and rogue Moro Islamic Liberation Front combatants have claimed several lives and million-worth of properties in 2009.
Army 2nd Lt. Mervin Rosal, exec-officer of the 1205th, 12RCDC reserve command based in Brgy. Buayan, Asinan, Gen. Santos City said the trainees who will undergo a 30 day training shall be enlisted into the Reserve Force of the Philippine Army and be assigned to the Disaster Emergency Assistance Relief and Rescue Operation Unit which will be stationed in the municipality.
Rosal said the training will be conducted on Saturdays and Sundays, including 11 days on basic military training, 12.5 days on environment protection and 6.2-days on Disaster Emergency Assistance Relief and Rescue Operations.
Everybody is welcome, provided that the trainees must be residence of the municipality. The approval of their application will be screened by the local government and 1205th CDC, ARESCOM. A minimum of 125 trainees will be accepted for each batch, and that applicants must be Filipino citizen, physically and mentally fit for military training; at least elementary graduate; non-reservist; and at last 18 years above or not more than 45 years old.
Nunez said all barangay captains of the 31 barangays of Malungon will be attending a final briefing called for by Arescom before the first bach of training will start on June 4.
Rosal said under the Officer Preparatory Course, college graduates are trained to take roles as officers in Philippine Army while undergrads will be trained for the infantry, rescue and other related operations.
There are two types of reservists in the component of the AFP Reserve Force: the Ready Reserve and Standby Reserve. Ready Reservists are personnel that are always on constant alert and on a call whenever the mobilization order has been given, while Standby Reservists are the personnel that support and augment the Ready Reserve Force when only needed.
No comments:
Post a Comment