Thursday, June 4, 2015

WestMinCom promotes peace through football

From the Philippine Information Agency (Jun 1): WestMinCom promotes peace through football
 
To promote peace and foster camaraderie among the youth in some conflict areas in Mindanao, some 320 young football enthusiasts joined the first Football Festival here on May 28-30, spearheaded by the Western Mindanao Command (WesMinCom) of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).

“We find football to be a unifying sport, especially for kids coming from remote and conflict areas,” said Lieutenant General Rustico O. Guerrero, commanding officer of  WesMinCom.

The participating groups came from Sulu, Tawi-Tawi, Basilan, Lanao del Norte and Cotabato.

“Through this initiative, we build their characters and teach them team work,” explained Guerrero.

He said they have noticed teams coming from conflict areas were not comfortable with one another “but when they play football, they get along well,” he said.

“Hindi naman pala  kailangang mag giyera eh. Nakikita ‘to ng mga bata. They can compete in a friendly game. So, hindi nila kailangang tularan ‘yong mga ginagawa ng mga matatanda. This is the purpose of the game,” (War is not the answer. The kids can see this. They can compete in a friendly game, so they don’t have to follow the actions of their predecessors. This is the purpose of the game) underscored Guerrero.

The commander expressed his gratitude to all stakeholders who have extended support to the activity. “We cannot do it alone. We rely on our stakeholders. We certainly need the support of our partners in this endeavor,” he opined.

As an educational tour, the group visited some historical places and scenic spots in the city on the last day of the activity.

http://news.pia.gov.ph/article/view/2831433126425/westmincom-promotes-peace-through-football

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