DWDD: PEACEBOOK PROJECT II 8IB Distributes Story Books for Lumads in Bukidnon

From DWDD AFP Civil Relations Service Radio Website (Mar 15): PEACEBOOK PROJECT II 8IB Distributes Story Books for Lumads in Bukidnon

MALAYBALAY CITY, Bukidnon (DWDD) – Another set of children’s story books were turned over by the members of the 8th Infantry Battalion of the Army’s 4th Infantry Division to a tribal school in Malaybalay City, Bukidnon as implementation of its “Peacebook Project” continues.

Mrs. Leonila E. Plazos, School Director of the Pigpamulaan Tribal School in Sitio Mahayag, Brgy. St. Peter, Malaybalay City, received the books through a ceremonial turn-over which was held during the City Peace and Order Council meeting of Malaybalay City LGU, with Hon. Ignacio W. Zubiri, City Mayor and CPOC Chairman, as the Presiding Officer. The activity took place around 11:30 am yesterday, March 11, 2016, at Delan’s Place in the said city.





“Peacebook” is a collaborative project of the Army’s 8th Infantry Battalion, the Local Government Units and The Asia Foundation, which donated the books. It is part of the Army’s Bayanihan Team Activities program that is aimed at addressing local issues in the community that breed conflict and insurgency. The project focuses on teaching good moral values to our children as a means of creating cultures of peace while denouncing violence as a solution to socio-economic issues that are prevalent in our society, especially in far flung areas.

Pigpamulaan Tribal School is located in Sitio Mahayag, Brgy. St. Peter, Malaybalay City. It is one of the remotest schools in the area and is lying along the foothills of the majestic Pantaron Mountain Ranges that divides Bukidnon and Agusan del Sur provinces. Fueled by the desire to have a culture-based education system that could empower the people in their community amidst the exploitations of the NPA, the indigenous peoples or Lumads of Mahayag decided to seek the help of the Bukidnon Tribal Filipinos Foundation Incorporated or BTTFI. The BTTFI then sought the benevolence of the Assisi Development Foundation that resulted to the establishment of a pre-school in 2003. Eventually, the institution became an elementary school in 2008, which was named as Pigpamulaan Tribal School.

Meantime, LTC LENNON G BABILONIA INF (GSC) PA, Commanding Officer of the 8th Infantry Battalion, once again emphasized the sanctity of schools. “We want to invest in our future by sowing seeds of peace in the hearts and minds of our children. And one of the best venues for such a noble task aside from our home is our schools.

This is how sacred schools are as institutions and it is very disappointing to know that the forces of insurgency have used the sanctity of our schools in order to radicalize our children and inculcate violence and injustice in their tender age. This has been happening in various areas here in Mindanao especially in Lumad communities. We have initiated this Peacebook Project in order to address these issues in our area, the beautiful province of Bukidnon, which serves as a bastion for our Lumad brothers. With this project is the thought that guns can kill enemies, but education can kill armed conflict.” says LTC BABILONIA. CMO 8IB / MCAG

http://dwdd.com.ph/2015/50027-2/