𝗠𝗘𝗗𝗜𝗔𝗧𝗢𝗥 𝗣𝗔𝗚𝗟𝗔𝗨𝗠: 𝗧𝗿𝗲𝗸𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗛𝗼𝗽𝗲 𝗔𝗰𝗿𝗼𝘀𝘀 𝗠𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘀, 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗘𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗖𝗮𝗿𝗿𝘆𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗶𝗿𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗦𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗲 𝗙𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲𝘀

As a meaningful prelude to the formal launch of the Mediator PAGLAUM Program, more than one hundred soldiers of the 60th Infantry (Mediator) Battalion, under the leadership of LTC JESUS L. ROSETE, INF (GSC) PA, embarked at the break of dawn on 11 July 2026 on a grueling multi-day trek into one of the country’s most remote Geographically Isolated and Disadvantaged Areas (GIDAs). Traversing rugged mountain ranges, steep and slippery trails, dense forests, raging river crossings, and unforgiving terrain where roads cease to exist, they carried heavy classroom chairs on their shoulders to bring education closer to Indigenous children of Sitio Nalubas, Brgy Palma Gil, Talaingod. Every step demanded endurance, every ascent tested their resolve, and every burden carried reflected their unwavering commitment that no child should be left behind because of geography, isolation, or circumstance.

Far beyond the distance traveled, the true measure of this mission lies in the lives it seeks to transform, the dreams it hopes to inspire, and the brighter future it strives to build through education. Every chair carried across the mountains represents a seat of dignity where knowledge will flourish, aspirations will be nurtured, and future leaders will begin their journey.

This extraordinary undertaking marks the first step toward the formal launch of the Mediator PAGLAUM Program, a collaborative initiative of the 60th Infantry (Mediator) Battalion in partnership with the Provincial Government of Davao del Norte, through the Office of the Governor, led by Hon. Edwin “Kuya Gob” Jubahib, and the Office of the Vice Governor, led by Hon. Clarice T. Jubahib, together with JCI Kadayawan, headed by President Rica Ysabel R Plasus, the Philippine Army Officer Candidate School (OCS) under Commandant Colonel Harold M Cabunoc, PA, AFPSLAI Davao Branch headed by Ms Armi Lou F Austria, and KALINAW SEMR under Ms Ida Marie Montero-Lubguban.

Guided by the spirit of shared responsibility, the program is founded on the following pillars:

• 𝗣 – Panaghiusa ug Panagtambayayong (Partnership and Collaboration)
• 𝗔 – Akses sa Edukasyon (Access to Education)
• 𝗚 – Giya ug Pag-atiman (Guidance and Genuine Care)
• 𝗟 – Liderato ug Kahanas sa Kinabuhi (Leadership and Life Skills)
• 𝗔 – Aspirasyon ug Kalamposan (Aspiration and Achievement)
• 𝗨 – Uplift sa Komunidad (Uplifting Communities)
• 𝗠 – Mahimong Kausaban (Making a Difference)

Anchored on the theme, “Papel ug Lapis, Dili Pusil ug Bala: Nagpugas ug Kahibalo, Nagdasig ug Paglaum, ug Naghulma sa Umaabot nga mga Lider Alang sa Malungtarong Kalinaw ug Kalamboan,” the program affirms the Battalion’s belief that education is a powerful pathway to lasting peace and sustainable development.

Through this initiative, a dedicated Mediator PAGLAUM Soldier-Teacher Team will regularly reach far-flung Indigenous communities to provide basic literacy support, values formation, leadership development, and life skills, complementing formal education while empowering the next generation of Indigenous youth to become future leaders of their communities.

The Mediator PAGLAUM Program is one of the flagship initiatives under the 60IB’s “Serbisyong may Puso at Malasakit” Peace and Development Program. It embodies the Battalion’s conviction that lasting peace is sustained not only by protecting communities but also by investing in the education, character, and future of their children, bringing hope where roads cease to exist and opportunities where they are needed most.

Every chair carried today becomes a child’s seat of learning tomorrow.

Media Contact

2LT CRYSTAL LOU T. DE LAS (INF) PA
Acting Civil-Military Operations Officer
60th Infantry (Mediator) Battalion
Mobile: 0997-506-0977