8th Infantry Division to perform more community development missions

From the Philippine News Agency (Jun 8): 8th Infantry Division to perform more community development missions

Aside from securing the Eastern Visayas from all forms of security threats, 8th Infantry Division chief, Major Gen. Ricardo Layug, announced that they will conduct more community development missions in line with the military's "Bayanihan" program.

The latter refers to the initiative where the military and the government aims to defeat insurgency through community development programs.

"The 8th Infantry will continue to support all endeavors initiated by our stakeholders in the spirit of "Bayanihan,” Layug stressed.

The 8th Infantry Division is based in Camp Lukban, Catbalogan City, Samar.

He also added that his unit has evolved from conducting purely military operations to performing non-military operations such as medical missions and humanitarian assistance.

"And we assure our people in this part of the country that we will continue to serve them and support our stakeholders to help alleviate their living conditions," Layug added.

Earlier, troopers from the 8th Infantry Division participated in the Department of Education's “Brigada Eskuwela” program which cleaned and repaired public schools for the June 3 opening of classes.

Soldiers from the latter unit participated in 124 “Brigada Eskuwela” activities all over Eastern Visayas where they conducted renovation and repainting of facilities, repair of fences, chairs and tables and cleanliness drive within school campuses and immediate vicinities.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=532397