Kalinaw News: BCDA formally turns over military facilities to AFP, SND visits the home of the defenders of the North

Posted to Kalinaw News (Mar 7, 2022): BCDA formally turns over military facilities to AFP, SND visits the home of the defenders of the North

Camp Aquino, Tarlac City – The Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) formally turns over the newly-constructed Army Support Command (ASCom) facilities to the Philippine Army during a short program held at Camp Aquino in Tarlac City on March 7, 2022.

Defense Secretary Delfin N. Lorenzana, alongside Army Commanding General Lt. Gen. Romeo S. Brawner, Jr, and ASCOM Commander Maj. Gen. Glenn Cruz received the symbolic key of the replicated facilities from BCDA as represented by their Officer in Charge Atty. Aristotle Batuhan. Twenty-one completed buildings out of the total forty-four facilities were turned-over to ASCOM during the ceremony. Construction is expected to be completed by August 2022.

Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines General Andres C Centino, and Northern Luzon Command Commander Lt. Gen. Ernesto Torres Jr were also present to witness the event.

Upon their acceptance, Secretary of National Defense
Lorenzana said that the undertaking is “another milestone in upgrading our military facilities” which is a thrust towards the “AFP Modernization Program.”

“This will have a positive impact on the readiness of our combat support and service battalions in providing firepower, transportation, as well as organizational and maintenance equipment to army units on the ground,” added the Defense Secretary.

Sec Lorenzana also expressed his gratitude to the BCDA, describing them as “one of the AFP’s strongest pillars of support” in attaining the AFP’s vision into becoming “A world-class Armed Forces, a source of national pride”.

Multiple headquarters facilities, officers’ quarters, barracks, a warehouse, student classrooms, and transportation and maintenance battalion areas were among the completed and turned-over facilities of the BCDA, which had an estimated cost of 1.5 billion pesos.

The new ASCom area in Camp Aquino provides easier and more efficient logistics operations due to its strategic location that lays out ease of movement and security of access from one place to another for the deployment of support services.

Subsequently, SND together with the visiting generals had a dialogue with the NoLCom senior officers led by Lt. Gen. Ernesto Torres Jr, and a “Talk to Troops” where he addressed the officers, enlisted personnel, and civilian human resources and other units under NoLCom via video teleconferencing.

In his message, Sec Lorenzana conveyed his appreciation for the contributions of the men and women of NoLCom, and for being “one of the most dependable commands of the AFP”

The Defense secretary hailed the NoLCom troopers as “peacekeepers of the north” for their continuous gains in their territorial defense operations, internal security operations, and humanitarian assistance and disaster response operations.

“Given all these, you aptly embody the desired image of the AFP that is feared by the enemy but loved by the people. You have created an environment that is conducive to the progress and development not only of north and central Luzon but also for the entire nation,” said Sec Lorenzana.

The Northern Luzon Command is the AFP’s stronghold in the North in charge of guarding the country’s northern frontier against threats to peace, security, and development.

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