THE Army's 8th Infantry Battalion (8IB) has visited schools in Bukidnon to campaign against the alleged recruitment activities of the New People's Army (NPA) on children and students.

Government soldiers interacted with Senior High School students of Bangcud National High School and Malaybalay City National High School last week.

The information drive aims to prevent the youth from being recruited by the communist insurgents and other left-leaning organizations.

The troops also informed students of the programs offered by the government for rebels who would lay down arms and return to the folds of the law.

The military claimed that schools are being used as breeding grounds of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) as allegedly revealed by former rebels who defected from the organization.

“The Philippine Army is serious in our fight against the CPP-NPA terrorist group and its left-leaning organizations. We do not want our children to waste their lives being one of the victims of the terrorist group. We will do everything we can to prevent them from being deceived by the group," 8IB commander Lieutenant Colonel Ronald Illana said.

"The Philippine Army will continue its efforts to aware the community of the deceptions of the CPP-NPA and its left-leaning organizations to force them join in their ill-willed intentions and destroy lives of the innocent," he added.