All 26 members received certificates of completion during a simple closing ceremony Saturday afternoon at the Multi-Purpose Hall of JTFG Headquarters. Three other participants were given only certificates of attendance for failing to complete the training that has been made requisite for the renewal of membership identification cards and operation tags.
Lt Col Romeo B Bartiana (Inf) PA, JTFG Deputy Commander, delivered the welcome address and declared the 26 participants as graduates after they were presented by Capt Amerego B Cope (Inf) PA, JTFG CMO Officer. Lt Col Bartiana presided over the distribution of the certificates with the assistance of Maj Brigido P Evacuado, Jr (Inf) PA, JTFG Ex-O and Hqs Coy CO, Capt Cope, TFSalaam-Gensan ‘s acting chief executive officer Arthur J Tariman, Ustadz Maulana Ahmad Edres Abdullah, adviser to the PNP Salaam Center, and Danny Salisipan, secretary of the MINSUPALA Peace and Development Advocates League (PDAL).
Representing Mrs. Cynthia Guerra, United Nations Multi-Donor Programme’s Action for Conflict Transformation (ACT for Peace) Programme-South Central Mindanao Area manager, during the closing rites, John Marshal Martos of the ACT for Peace-South Central Mindanao Area technical support staff, lauded the earnest efforts made by TF Salaam-Gensan in the field of conflict prevention and peace building.
He cited the “PA Outstanding NGO of the Year (CY 2007)” award TF Salaam-Gensan received from the Philippine Army during its recent 111th Anniversary Celebration as the best proof of its outstanding accomplishments thus far.
JTFG, under the new leadership of Col Benito T de Leon Inf (GSC) PA, has been supporting TF Salaam-Gensan’s education and training program. Col De Leon has opened the door of JTFG Headquarters to TF Salaam-Gensan members undergoing the training even as the lectures were done from 8 to 10 p.m. for nine evenings from 7 to 18 April 2008.
About 54 surviving original members of the various TF Salaam chapters in the city have been required to undergo the training but only 29 of them attended, out of which 20 had managed to complete the training. Six junior members completed the training though they were not as yet required to undergo the course, making 26 the actual number of trainees who successfully completed the training.
TFSalaam-Gensan would conduct the Conflict Prevention and Peace Building Training-Seminar Level 2 Class No. 02-2008 on the first week of May to cater the surviving original members from its Labangal and New Society-Sogod Apopong Chapters
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All TF Salaam-Gensan recruits are required to undergo a one-day Training-Seminar on Conflict Prevention and Peace Building Level 1 before they would start a three-month probationary membership period. The same applies to affiliate members like those who belonged to the Smagun Riders Team, Rose Riders Team, People’s Enforcers Against Criminal Elements (PEACE) Riders Association, and the Alpha Kappa Rho Fraternity and Sorority. (TF Salaam-Gensan Community Relations Department)
