AFP to hold austere 71st anniversary celebration

The Armed Forces will have an austere but meaningful celebration of its 71st anniversary tomorrow, officials said.

President Arroyo is expected to attend the celebration as guest of honor.

Lt. Col. Bartolome Bacarro, AFP public information chief, said that they would celebrate their anniversary with a Mass and flag ceremony, forgoing the traditional grand parade of previous anniversaries.

Maj. Gen. Jose Honrado, AFP spokesman, said although this year’s anniversary would be simple, they would be paying tribute to soldiers who have displayed heroism in the performance of traditional and non-traditional duties like disaster relief and rescue operations.

This started when AFP chief Gen. Hermogenes Esperon Jr. visited wounded soldiers at the AFP Medical Center in Quezon City two days ago, he added.

Maj. Alvin Lagamon of the AFP Civil Military Operations said this would be followed by the AFP’s adopt-a-shelter program at an orphanage and home for the aged in Binangonan, Rizal.

Lagamon said that they would also launch the "Isang Milyong Patak ng Buhay," a massive bloodletting activity, where one million cubic centimeters of blood which would be collected will be donated to different blood collecting agencies. — James Mananghaya