SOME 200 new recruits of the Philippine Marine Corps (PMC) from Misamis Oriental are set to undergo a six-month training to fill in the number needed to fight the enemies of the state, especially in Mindanao.
The candidate soldiers took their oath before the PMC officials and capitol executives in a send-off rites at the provincial capitol grounds on Monday, June 18.
They will be ferried to the PMC headquarters in Manila via C130 plane and will go directly to Cavite for their six-month training.
PMC commandant Major General Alvin Parreño said they were able to get sufficient number of recruits from all over the country and the additional would-be marine soldiers from the province will replace the retirees and casualties in the Marawi City siege, last year.
"Because of the support of the president we are able to get sufficient number of recruits kasi may mga magre-retire at may casualties tayo sa Marawi last year," Parreño said.
However, he said the recruitment will continue to give equal opportunity in other provinces.
From around a thousand applicants in the province and nearby towns and cities, only 200 have successfully passed due to the stringent recruitment process.
"Halo na ito sa karatig na bayan sa Misamis Oriental. Ang recruitment is standard sa AFP we root out those na hindi qualified sa age, ang iba kulang ng units sa college and skills sa TESDA," Parreño said.
Parreño said the candidate soldiers will already be receiving an initial monthly salary of P18,000 while undergoing training.
After completing the rigorous training, the recruits will be equally deployed to different battalions in Tawi-tawi, Sulu, Sultan Kudarat and other provinces in the south.
Parreño said the rigorous training will test each recruit and prepare them to become a full-blooded marine soldiers. He said it would be up for them whether they will survive or quit.
"The Marine corps is a special unit so medyo mahirap ang training pero this will be their test because what they are going to face in the future is not an easy task because they will be facing the enemy of the state," Parreño said.
"The training will transform them from being 'boys into men' and this metamorphosis will be different from their previous life kasi transformation nila ito para maging tagapagsilbi sa bayan," he added.