8th Army Division gets 70 hectares more from Catbalogan LGU

By ALICE NICART, PIA Samar
September 22, 2011

CATBALOGAN CITY, Samar  –  In what he referred to as a “divine gift”, 8th Infantry Division Commander, MajGen Mario F. Chan today, signed the memorandum of agreement (MOA) which clearly defines the 70 hectares of land, the city government of Catbalogan acquired  for them.

The MOA signing transpired today in a simple ceremony at the Sangguniang Panlunsod, where Chan and Catbalogan City mayor Coefredo Uy affixed their signatures for a mutual understanding relative not only to the expansion of the soldiers camp but also its retention in the city vicinity.

Chan recalled that there were previous plans to transfer the Army Division Camp to Sta. Rita town which is about 80 kilometers from Catbalogan.  According to him, with no offense meant, why Sta. Rita when it is 30-kilometer deep into the wilderness.

What he meant, Chan said was that, putting up a new Army headquarters would entail the government another millions of pesos, while Catbalogan has existing facilities, vis-à-vis, financial, logistical, internet and more.

Today, however, they did not only win an additional space, the elevated space fronting the Army stage for more facilities to be erected, they also got the assurance that they will remain in Catbalogan.

“I think I am the happiest person today,” Chan revealed, “because after a series of quietly tough process, we are now provided with a battalion retraining facility, and since we started out this initiative, everything seemed to had been put in place”, he added.

Asked what the local government unit could expect in return, Mayor Coefredo Uy said, an assured security of his people with some economic benefits, considering that the retention and expansion of the Army camp would mean additional people who could contribute in a way or another, in steering the economic activity of the city.

Gen. Chan summarized the benefits to be two-way, or for both the Army and the LGU.  He also cited the Bayanihan program of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).