Wounded Scout Rangers receive baking livelihood aid from Aboitiz
Technical Sergeant Arnold Cale, a Mindanao native who lost his right leg during fierce fighting against the New People’s Army in Basilan in 2002, has something new to look forward to. The opening of the Panther’s Bakery in Camp Tecson in San Miguel Bulacan last April 4 signaled a new opportunity for the wounded members of the Philippine Army Special Operations Command’s First Scout Ranger Regiment (FSRR).
Cale heads the soldier-run bakery ー a new livelihood opportunity provided by the Aboitiz Group through its corporate social responsibility arm the Aboitiz Foundation and its food business unit Pilmico, to help wounded soldiers become productive and self-sustaining.
“Malaking tulong talaga ito. Sa akin lang, may mga skills na ako; kung gusto ko magtayo ng sarili kong bakery, kaya ko na. Para rin sa mga tropa dito, hindi na nila kailangang lumayo para sa tinapay. Nakakatulong talaga ito sa mga nasugatan sa giyera,” (“This is really a big help. For me alone, I now have added skills; if I wanted to put up my own bakery, I could. For the soldiers here, they no longer have to go far to buy bread. Finally, this project is really helping those wounded in the war,”) Cale said.
FSRR received modern baking equipment and financial assistance for the construction of a complete on-site bakery from the Aboitiz Group. Twelve FSRR bakers also received comprehensive baking training from Pilmico as well as additional training through the University of the Philippines Institute of Small Scale Industries’ Start Your Own Business course.
“Some of them [FSRR soldiers] were wounded in action, and some of them were physically unable to pursue their operational activities. So we could help them out, we placed them here. We later found out they already had some skills that just needed a bit of training,” chimed in Brigadier General William Gonzales, FSRR Commander. He said the proceeds from the bakery will go to the Scout Ranger foundation which they revived last year.
“Pinapasalamatan ko ang Aboitiz para dito. Nakatulong talaga ito at magandang proyekto ito sa mga nasugatang tropa. Hindi natin talaga maiiwasan ang giyera, pero kahit papaano meron tayong proyekto tulad nito,” “I would like to thank the Aboitiz Group for this project. It has really helped a lot and this is a good project for our wounded soldiers. We cannot fully avoid injuries in war, but at least we have projects like this that can help,” Cale said.
Present during the Panther’s Bakery opening were Aboitiz Foundation First Vice-President and Chief Operating Officer Maribeth L. Marasigan, Aboitiz Equity Ventures, Inc.’s Senior Vice President Ernest O. Villareal and Chief Corporate External Relations Officer David Jude Sta. Ana.
“When we go back to visit this bakery again, we expect to hear moving stories of our soldiers who were successfully transformed into Panther Bakery’s strong, powerful, and pleasing bakers,” Marasigan said.
“Meanwhile, we in the Aboitiz Foundation will continuously explore ways to support our uniformed personnel as a sign of gratitude for all your sacrifices for our nation,” she added.
This is not the first time the Aboitiz Group has extended baking livelihood programs to the country’s soldiers.
Recently, the Aboitiz Group inaugurated “The Bread Camp Bakery” inside Malacañang Park run by the Presidential Security Group Enlisted Personnel Ladies Club. Early last year, the Noble Bakers Bakery in Fort Magsaysay, Nueva Ecija became operational and is now being run by the Philippine Army Special Operations Command (SOCOM) soldiers who were injured in battle. It has also extended bakery livelihood programs to residents displaced during the Marawi City siege.
