A MILITARY official has encouraged young learners of Likubong Elementary School in Niangkaan village, Omar, Sulu to focus on their studies.
“Study hard and always listen to your teachers and parents,” Lieutenant Colonel Dante Mantes, 101st Infantry Battalion commander, told the young learners.
“If you finish your education, you can become professionals—teachers, doctors, or even soldiers—and be successful in the future,” Mantes added.
Over a hundred pupils, including those in Grades 1 and 2, have received school supplies intended to aid them in their studies, alongside a feeding program that ensured each child left with both a full stomach and a happy heart.
The outreach program held on Friday, July 11, formed part of the 101IB’s civil-military operations and community engagement efforts in the municipality of Omar.
The activity also commemorated Mantes’s first month as the commanding officer of the 101IB.
The outreach program was made possible through the support of various civic-minded groups, including Freemasonry chapters around the world, which provided sponsorship for the school supplies.
“Their contribution reflects the Masonic values of charity, brotherhood, and service to humanity,” Mantes said.
He expressed gratitude for the support from the community and emphasized the battalion’s ongoing commitment to peace, education, and development.
Local officials and school personnel expressed their appreciation to the battalion and its partners for their efforts to uplift the lives of the children and for continuously building trust and cooperation within the community. (SunStar Zamboanga)