Military uses 'flip-flop' tactic vs insurgency

MANILA, Philippines – Army troops are adopting a new tactic to counter the insurgency problem – distributing slippers to grade school pupils in far-flung areas.

Through their “Tsinelas Campaign” project, the Philippine Army, together with the PEACEnet volunteer group, recently “raided” a remote village in Negros island, carrying not guns but 600 pairs of flip-flops and food that were distributed to the pupils.

“We have to make them feel that the government, through the Philippine Army, cares for them so that they won’t fall victims to false promises of leftist groups who want to use them for their own selfish interests,” said Col. Nemesio Franco Gacal, commanding officer of the Army’s 11th Infantry Battalion based in Negros Oriental.

Among the recipients of the outreach program conducted at Linantuyan Elementary School in Guihulngan City, Negros Oriental was grade V pupil Marissa Santos.

Santos said having a pair of slippers is quite a luxury for her as she would no longer walk barefoot to school.

“My parents could hardly buy food for us because of poverty, much more slippers,” Santos told Gacal.

The schoolchildren of Linantuyan were chosen as the recipients because of the distance of the school from their houses.

“The children have to walk miles barefoot just to be able to attend their classes. The apparent isolated situation of the village was also a consideration,” Gacal said.

The place is known to be rebel-infested and the Army believes that winning the hearts of the children means winning the first round in the battle against the insurgents.

Thirty volunteers from PEACENet, a non-government organization, accompanied the troops in bringing the slippers, clothing, and food to the schoolchildren who were chosen as the first recipients of the Tsinelas Campaign.

PEACEnet volunteers, including nursing students from Riverside College, and Army troops had to traverse muddy and slippery roads for two hours before they could reach the site.

Anton Meenama, a Sri Lankan volunteer and a part-time teacher in Bacolod City, took his leather shoes off and walked barefoot while carrying a sack of slippers.

Meenama, who has spent years doing community volunteer work in the country, described the mission as very fulfilling.

“It has always been a fulfillment for me to help. It is worth doing,” he said.

Gacal, on the other hand, said they were able to gather enough slippers and goods by holding a concert that charged slippers and food instead of cash as entrance fee.

To show their gratitude, the pupils gave the soldiers and the volunteers flowers.

“It is the smiles and hearty greetings of the schoolchildren bearing flowers that wiped away the weariness and exhaustion of the volunteers upon arriving at the Linantuyan Elementary School, which is kilometers away from the barangay proper,” Gacal said.

Barangay Captain Elpidio Villar, who witnessed the event together with the teachers, could not contain his happiness that visitors from Bacolod and Negros Oriental traveled miles just to extend assistance to the children of Linantuyan.