Soldiers, pupils in West Philippine Sea to receive food, school supplies

MANILA, Philippines — Soldiers deployed in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) and school children in the Kalayaan Islands will receive food and other supplies from the University of the Philippines-Cadet Alumni Organization (UPCAO).

The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) yesterday received from UPCAO 29 boxes of care packages, which will be sent to the beneficiaries.

The boxes of food supplies, drinking water and toiletries will go to troopers in WPS including Pag-asa Island, according to AFP public affairs office chief Col. Jorry Baclor.

Other goods such as milk, biscuits and school supplies and materials will be distributed to children in Kalayaan.

Baclor said the soldiers would also receive letters of gratitude and artworks made by students of the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde in Manila.

Brig. Gen. Gabriel Viray, AFP deputy chief for civil military operations, received the donation during a ceremony held at the UP Department of Military Science and Tactics in Diliman, Quezon City.

The morale-boosting package is a project of the UPCAO and UP Reserve Training Officers’ Corps (UP-ROTC) headed by Maria Christina Cecilla Hernandez.

In behalf of the AFP, Viray thanked the UPCAO and UP-ROTC for sustaining the Kalayaan care package project and facilitating activities that strengthen ties between the AFP and the people.

“This project is a testament to the Filipinos’ solidarity with the AFP in protecting our sovereignty against foreign incursions of our maritime borders, air space and exclusive economic zones,” Viray said.