By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

Philippine Army 303rd Infantry Brigade commander, Colonel Benedict Arevalo, recently awarded medals to 81 soldiers of the 62nd Infantry Battalion (62IB) and 79th Infantry Battalion (79IB) in separate ceremonies. The recognition was done following two successful encounters against the New People’s Army (NPA) last month.
Thirty eight 62IB soldiers and 43 79IB troopers received Military Commendation Medals for demonstrating exemplary performance of duties in combat operations.
The military figured in two armed clashes last month. The first clash took place when 62IB troops encountered NPA insurgents in Sitio Dawhan, in Himamaylan City’s Barangay Buenavista, which resulted in five NPA casualties; the apprehension of one NPA rebel; and recovery of one anti-personnel mine, seven backpacks, personal belongings and subversive documents.
The other encounter occurred between 79IB and rebels in Sitio Puting Tubig, located in Barangay Minautok, Calatrava, which resulted in five NPA casualties; along with the recovery of one magazine with eight units of ammunition for a Garrand carbine rifle, food, and other belongings.
“The medals I [gave] to my soldiers are in recognition of their commitment to the service, hard-work, and bravery in fighting the terrorist NPA,” Arevalo said. “As their commander, I ensure that their morale is high because well-motivated and appreciated troops will perform more than what is expected.”/DGB, WDJ