BRIGADIER General Alvin Luzon, commander of the Army’s 101st Brigade, has urged Basileños to take pride in the rich cultural heritage of their province that is set to mark its 50th founding anniversary on March 7.
“Let us also celebrate our unity in diversity, and, most importantly, we should altogether look forward to a bright future that promises a better life for everyone,” Luzon said as he addressed the opening program on Tuesday, February 27, marking the first day of Tennun Pakaradjaan 2024.
“Peace is not unity in similarity but unity in diversity, in the comparison and conciliation of differences,” said Luzon, citing a quote from former Soviet Union President Mikhail Gorbachev.
In his keynote speech, Luzon bannered the peace initiatives in search of lasting peace and development for Basilan. ‘
He said one such peace initiative is the successful implementation of the Small Arms Light Weapons (SALW) Management Program.
He said Basilan has successfully managed the SALW Management Program with Governor Jim Hataman-Salliman’s leadership and vision and the cooperation of the different local government units.
He noted that another successful peace initiative is the settlement of warring clans, in which the warring families have agreed to settle differences to promote peace and unity in diversity.
“Truly, the people of Basilan nurture the ‘culture of peace’, and ridos, and violence are never parts of their heritage,” he said.
“Together, with the help and support of our local government leaders and other key stakeholders, let us advance these gains and expand our capacities toward a better life for all. And as we continue to enjoy this success, let us collectively take pride in the rich cultural heritage of our province,” he added.
Luzon said the Japanese Government had noticed the desire of the Basileños to achieve genuine peace and that the Japanese Ambassador saw the history of Japan in the story of Basilan.
Meanwhile, Salliman said for 50 years, Basilan has gone a long way to achieving the level of peace, progress and development that the province and Basileños are enjoying nowadays.
Salliman said Basilan province is advancing its gains in peace and security through the non-nonsense implementation of SALW Program, which has resulted in the recovery of more than 500 loose firearms.
Salliman hoped for the near future when Basilan would be cleared of loose guns and days would soon be gone when loose guns would dominate the island province “because those loose firearms had been the root cause of our security problems.”
To expand Basilan’s capacities, Salliman has challenged the Basileños to make the 50 years of Basilan as a stepping board to further improve and develop the province in all aspects. (SunStar Zamboanga)