8ID, a Partner Organization in Conducting YLS 2011

Camp Lukban, Catbalogan City – The 8^th Infantry (Stormtroopers) Division, Philippine Army joined the activities of the Local Government of Catbalogan City and Hinabangan, Samar. This morning, the Local Government of Catbalogan City conducted the opening ceremony of its 1^st Catbalogan Youth Leadership Summit 2011 held at the 8ID Grandstand. This activity is dubbed as “Catbalogan’s Hope and Mobilizers for Progress”.

This activity was attended by Colonel Raylindo S. Aniñon, Chief of Staff, 8ID, PA; Lieutenant Colonel Niceforo M. Diaz, Commanding Officer, 8^th Civil Military Operations Battalion; Hon. Art Sherwin L. Gabon, City Vice Mayor of Catbalogan; Hon. Stephany U. Tan, City Councilor of Catbalogan; Hon. Rodrigo Perez III, City Councilor of Catbalogan; Hon. Dexter M. Uy, President, Sangguniang Kabataan City Federation; Mr. Brian Manicani, President, Junior Chamber International – Balud Chapter; Mr. Dennis Cosmod, President, Waray-Waray Youth Advocates; soldiers; policemen; representatives from different partner agencies and organizations; and the participants of this activity.

As part of this activity, the Run for the Youth 2011 was also conducted before the opening ceremony. During the program, the awarding of the winners was held. This fun run has two (2) categories. The first category was participated in by children aging ten (10) years and below, and has a distance of one thousand five hundred meters (1, 500 m). The winners for this category were: Jhon Mark Lagbo, 1^st place and Vembone Elejedo, 2^nd place. Moreover, the second category was participated in by youth aging eleven (11) years and above, and has a distance of three thousand meters (3,000 m). The winners for this category were: Dodito Paculdo, 1^st place and Allan Latuja, 2^nd place.

Meanwhile, the opening ceremony of Youth Leadership Summit 2011 in Hinabangan, Samar was held yesterday at Hinabangan Elementary School. Hon. Alejandro N. Abarratigue, Municipal Mayor of Hinabangan, Samar, was the Keynote Speaker during this program.

This ceremony was also attended by Colonel Romeo L. Labador, Commanding Officer, 801^st Brigade, 8ID, PA; Hon. Janssen Alvy R. Abarratigue, President, Samar Provincial Sangguniang Kabataan Federation; Rev. Fr. Rodolfo Aquino, Parish Priest of Hinabangan, Samar; soldiers; representatives from different agencies and organizations; and the participants of this activity.

The 8ID supports YLS activities to further enable the youth and the LGUs to withstand the negative influence of threat groups in the region.###