THE Boy Scouts of the Philippines (BSP) added another colorful chapter in its history when President Rodrigo Duterte was formally installed as the new Chief Scout of the national youth organization in Malacañang Palace last Monday.
A select group of scouters and representatives from the Scouting family: Kab Scouts, Boy Scouts, Senior Scouts, Rover Scouts and Scout Leaders led by BSP National Board officers Wendel Avisado and Cedric Train attended the special event. Looking smart and international in his Lagong Hende uniform, Scout Duterte pledged to fully support the Scouting Movement in the country for a better Philippines. In turn the Scouts and Scouters also pledged to do their share.
In his inspirational message to the Boys and their leaders, President Duterte challenged them to join the Armed Forces as soldiers or the Philippine National Police as police officers. “I have a lot of airplanes but I have no pilots. I have many ships but no one is joining the Navy,” said the Chief Scout.
The President later on blamed the abolition of mandatory Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC) for the lack of interest in the military and discipline among the youth sometime in 2002, due to anomalies committed in some institutions.
On the return of the ROTC as a compulsory military training program, yours truly, is 100 percent behind the move. As a college student in the early 1950’s, I served as the Corps Commander of the Baguio Tech (now University of Baguio) ROTC Unit, considered at the time one of the best unit in the 1st Military Area, covering Northern Luzon. The ROTC is one of the best training grounds for military preparedness and capability. The President said he wanted his guests to either join the military or take ROTC.
In Filipino, President Duterte told the young specially to “always love your country. You know you should? We have only one country, we can’t replace it even if we want to.” He also discussed with the youth his on-going war on illegal drugs, a campaign that he said was intended to protect the next generation.
“We will take care of you. We will protect you from the scourge of drugs. We will protect you from exploitation. I am angry and I will kill those who prey on our youth,” Duterte said. The new chief Scout spoke for at less 28 interesting minutes, after which he had picture taking for posterity with the scouts and scouters, all ranks.
It is interesting to know that the Boy Scouts of the Philippines was created as an independent national youth organization by Commonwealth Act No. III, approved by the National Assembly on October 31, 1936. The bill was sponsored by Assemblyman Tomas Confesor from Iloilo and was approved by President Manuel Quezon.
Before the passage of the law, the national youth organization was known as the Philippine Council, Boy Scouts of America. The first BSP President was Brigadier General Vicente Lim, a graduate from the United States Academy in 1914. The first national Scout execution was Exiqiel Villacorta.
Happily at my golden age of 85 going 86 this year, I am still a registered member of the BSP the Baguio City Council. I was seven years old when I first joined Scouting as a Cub Scout in Balatoc Mines sometime in 1938. In 1946, I joined the Baguio City National School Troop 66 under Scoutmaster, the late Lawyer Emilio Fellarme. Then, transferred to troop 89 Drum and Bugle Corps and later on moved to head as band leader troop 22 Scared Heart Drum and Bugle Corps.
After my graduation from the high school in 1949. I was a Presidential scholar at Baguio Tech, courtesy of Fernando “Tatay” Bautista, in basketball, athletics, scouting and as drum and bugle corps instructor. With pardonal be pride, I organized Troop 88, the first Scout unit in the school which was rated one of the best in the defunct Baguio-Mountain Council, BSP. As a classroom teacher, I also organized Troop 77 of the Baguio Colleges Foundation in 1957.
For the record, my modest achievement in local scouting paved the way for me to become a professional Scout Executive. I was a scholar of the BSP Region 1 and the Baguio-Mr. Council to the 10th National Training School (NTS) in 1958. With the Lord’s blessing, I graduated as an honor student - first in outdoor Scouting and Second Honor in Academics. Immediately after my graduation from the NTS, I was commissioned by the BSP National Council as Field Scout Executive of the Baguio-Benguet Council.
Two years later, I was promoted to the rank of Scout Executive. In 1965, I was the lone scholar of the BSP National Council to the 11th Far East Scout Training the Team Course in Thailand with no less that Scouter John Thurman, Camp Chief of Gilwell Park, England, as the course leader I finished the course with flying colors and was elected as the permanent Patrol Leader of my group.
We had at least 18 country participants in the TTC with a total of 80 Scouters from Thailand, Brunei, USA, Malaysia, Singapore and the PHL among others. Yours truly, was also a member of the BSP National Council delegation to the Far East Scouting 1st Leadership and Fund Campaign Seminar held in Singapore to the 4th Far East Scouting Conference held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in December of 1965. The late BSP President Gabriel Daza was the contingent head of the 10-man delegation.
After my schooling abroad in 1965, I was promoted to the rank of BSP National Coordinator for Region I. I also served as BSP National Train Coordinator from 1968 to 1969 or a good two years before I retired from the professional service. Since 1998, yours truly is a life time member of the Order of the Arrow Boy Scouts of America. I am a firm believer in the Scouting adage – “once a Scout, always a Scout.”
Last Sunday, my wife Consuelo Sol and I spent several hours at the Shrine of the Brown Madonna, at Asin Road. We did some repainting activities. The place is now ready for the Holy Week exodus. Like in previous years we are expecting a sizable group of devotees from all over the country to visit the shrine.