TACLOBAN CITY –– The Philippine Army has welcomed 151 new soldiers to its fold, hoping to boost its campaign against communist insurgents in Eastern Visayas.
The new soldiers formally joined the 8th Infantry Division (ID) on Tuesday, August 4, after finishing a six-month grueling training.
Of the new soldiers, 102 are from Samar, 37 from Leyte, six from Mindanao, two from Luzon, two from Cebu, one from Iloilo, and one from Negros Occidental, said Captain Reynaldo Aragones Jr., spokesperson of the 8th ID based in Catbalogan City, Samar.
Agarones said the new soldiers, who hold the rank of “privates,” would provide a much-needed boost in their fight against the New People’s Army that continues to disturb peace and development in Eastern Visayas.
The region, composed of the provinces of Leyte, Southern Leyte, Biliran, Samar, Eastern Samar, and Northern Samar, continue to grapple with the insurgency.
Major General Pio Diñoso III, commanding general of the division, challenged the new soldiers to do their best as they begin to deliver “true service to the government.”