COTABATO CITY (PIA) -- The Philippine Army’s 6th Civil Military Operations (6CMO) Battalion, under the 6th Infantry (Kampilan) Division (6ID), is intensifying its efforts to boost the morale of its troops through the establishment of a new facility.

Early this month, the 6CMO (Kasangga) Battalion inaugurated the army’s transient house, also called the rear command post, inside its headquarters in Pedro Colina Hill, Cotabato City.

6CMO Battalion Commanding Officer Lt. Col. Dennis Almorato described the facility as beneficial for the army troops from different units under the 6CMO command.

“This is a project funded by the headquarters of the Philippine Army para mabigyan natin ng magandang tirahan yung mga sundalo natin. Ito ay gagamitin ng mga line companies namin kung may mga transaction man sila na administratibo ay magagamit nila ito na tulugan dito sa Cotabato City [This is a project funded by the headquarters of the Philippine Army to provide a nice house for our soldiers. This will be used by our line companies as sleeping quarters if they are here in Cotabato City to do administrative transactions],” Almorato said.

Almorato added that the army’s transient house, worth P400,000, has kitchens and comfort rooms for males and females, as well as four bedrooms that can accommodate up to eight individuals.

He also recognized the unwavering support of the Philippine Army for the construction of the transient house, which will provide a decent place for the troops to sleep and eat.

“Ito naman ay pang matagalan, dahil itong kampo ng 6CMO battalion ay isang military reservation. Ito na rin yung adbokasiya ng ating commanding general ng Philippine Army na magbigay tayo ng magandang moral sa ating tropa sa pamamagitan ng magandang billeting o tulugan [This is for the long haul since this camp is a military reservation. This is also the advocacy of our commanding general of the Philippine Army that we will boost the morale of our troops by providing them with good billeting quarters],” he explained.

2Lt. Angelie Calataro, one of the first guests of the transient house, expressed her appreciation for the completion of the facility, taking pride that it was established to provide soldiers with a conducive place to stay while they are inside the battalion.

“Ang pinaka purpose po nito is magbigay ng conducive workplace po para sa line companies ng aming unit. We are so happy kasi meron ng rear command post dito sa battalion na mapag-stayhan namin [The main purpose of this is to provide a conducive workplace for the line companies in our unit. We are so happy because now there is a rear command post here in the battalion where we can stay],” she said.

Aside from the transient house, the 6CMO Battalion also inaugurated its new covered court stage, funded by the Bangsamoro government, through the Ministry of Public Works (MPW).

This year, the 6CMO Battalion also celebrated its 34th founding anniversary, highlighting the battalion’s major accomplishments throughout the years.

Meanwhile, the government of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) remains steadfast in its support of the Philippine Army, particularly the 6ID, in its efforts to massively promote peace and development in the Bangsamoro region.

Just last month, officials from the Office of Member of Parliament Susana Salvador-Anayatin and the 6ID, including the MPW, led the groundbreaking ceremony of a multi-purpose building that will be turned into a ‘Peace Museum’ inside the headquarters of the 6ID in Barangay Awang, Datu Odin Sinsuat, Maguindanao del Norte.

The project will serve as a facility to display various artifacts and other memorabilia of past wars in 6ID’s areas of responsibility.

Major General Alex Rillera, 6ID and Joint Task Force Central commander, said that this is a welcome development not only for the military, citing the importance of the peace museum project to preserve historical facts that would benefit the entire Bangsamoro region.

He said that such a facility, once completed, would also be a huge help, especially for the students in the Bangsamoro region, as they could learn and gain more knowledge about the history of past wars. (LTB – PIA Cotabato City)