New Marine brigade commander vows to support environment protection efforts in Palawan

From the Philippine News Agency (Feb 5): New Marine brigade commander vows to support environment protection efforts in Palawan

Newly-installed 3rd Marine Brigade commander Col. Armando Bañez vowed to support Palawan’s efforts to protect, preserve and conserve its environment.

In an interview with the Philippine News Agency (PNA), Bañez, who was the deputy for Marine Operations of the Armed Forces of the Philippines’ (AFP) Naval Forces Western Mindanao (NFWM) before his assignment in Palawan, said that aside from ensuring the residents’ safety against destabilization attempts of members of the leftist movement in the province, they are also duty-bound to provide support to endeavors to protect the environment.

“Our commitment to support efforts to protect Palawan’s environment is long-standing; we will never waiver in this since we know it is important to Palaweños,” Bañez said, adding that since he came to know the province, he also came to know about its peoples’ passion to live with balance with its environment.

His current post in the brigade is not Bañez first stint in the province. In late 90’s, he was among the officers of the 6th Marine Battalion Landing Team (MBLT 6) until it was sent to Jolo, Sulu in Mindanao for a new assignment.

Bañez recalled that during then, their assignment included protecting Palawan’s forests against unscrupulous individuals in the north and south, who cut down trees unabashedly.

He said he is elated to be back in Palawan that has taught him many things – the people’s kindness and hospitality, their love for the environment, simple living, and “fresh seafood.”

“Here in Palawan, people are so welcoming that you immediately feel you are already a Palaweño. And with that, we commit that we will support their need for their environment to be protected,” he said.

Bañez took over the leadership of the brigade last December from Brigadier General Andrei Costales.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=612902