CALAMBA CITY, Laguna – The 202nd Infantry Brigade (202IB) of the Philippine Army’s 2nd Infantry Division (2ID) appealed to the Department of Education (DepEd) Calabarzon to support efforts against the exploitation of the youth, particularly concerning communist recruitment schemes.
Brig. Gen. Ronald Jess Alcudia, 202IB commander, conveyed this in a phone interview on Friday.
He presented the Community Information Awareness and Approach Program of the brigade during a recent 1st Regional Management Committee meeting of DepEd-Calabarzon officials for 2025 in Cabuyao City, Laguna held Thursday.
He said the program aims to counter recruitment activities targeting senior high school students across the region.
In his presentation, Alcudia emphasized the importance of linking Parent-Teacher Associations with Hands Off Our Children Movement, Inc., a group of parents advocating for awareness programs to protect the youth from being recruited into violent armed struggles.
Alcudia said he recommended several measures to strengthen the partnership between DepEd and the military, including harmonizing DepEd Order No. 32, s. 2019, which outlines The National Policy Framework on Learners and Schools as Zones of Peace, with the directives of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict.
This alignment would enhance efforts to combat communist recruitment within the educational sector.
Additional recommendations included conducting information campaigns in secondary schools across Calabarzon, incorporating orientation sessions on the National Service Training Program for Grade 12 students, and inviting security sector representatives to DepEd career guidance programs to encourage students to consider careers in the uniformed services.
During the meeting, Alcudia also addressed maritime challenges in the West Philippine Sea and stressed the importance of raising national security awareness among the youth.
“By sharing our commitment with DepEd on these critical issues, we can protect and empower our future generations,” he concluded. (PNA)