Elite Army force opens Ecija camp for eco-tourism

“Unconventional warfare training starts here,” reads a sign at the entrance of the Ben Fe Complex, home of the elite Special Forces School inside the sprawling Fort Ramon Magsaysay in Palayan City in Nueva Ecija.

But now, this camp not only trains the so-called “Green Berets,” but the youth, on environmental consciousness after it opened its doors to students from different schools for the “Lakbay Kalikasan,” a program that aims to raise awareness on the protection and conservation of Mother Nature through actual interaction.

Lt. Col. Monico Batle, a seasoned Special Forces officer who heads the training facility, transforms from a strict commandant into a cheerful tour guide, orienting visitors with the various features of the camp and the flora and fauna found inside.

Aside from that, soldiers mount capability demonstrations, including jungle survival and rope courses, to give tourists a glimpse of rigid training being undertaken by Special Forces soldiers, who are all “airborne” qualified.

The visitors, as part of the tour, get the chance to plant trees near the Fernandez Hill, the part of the camp memorable to all graduates of the Philippine Military Academy, because it is here where they undergo their field training exercises before they could graduate.

About eight kilometers from Fernandez Hill, is Mount Taclang Damulag, which is also being maintained and taken care of by the elite unit.

Tourists would also get the chance to see the newly improved headquarters of the Special Forces Regiment (Airborne), which was done during the tenure of decorated Army Brig. Gen. Arturo Ortiz, who is now chief of the Army’s Special Operations Command that also has jurisdiction over the equally elite Scout Rangers and the US-trained and equipped Light Reaction Battalion.

The SFR(A) headquarters now boasts of hotel-like quarters for its officers, and an Olympic-sized swimming pool that now attracts civilians from Nueva Ecija.

“It’s about time that we open up our doors to the public, to give them an idea what military life is about,” Lt. Col. Romeo Brawner, Army spokesman and a “full-blooded” Special Forces officer, said in an interview.

Brawner said that the idea of allowing civilian visitors inside the Special Forces facility started last year during the Girl Scouts jamboree in Fort Magsaysay, where they hosted thousands of scouts from all over the country.

“At the start, there were debates due to some security concerns, but after addressing that, we have decided to allow tourists to also show them that their Army is not hiding anything from them,” he said, citing several controversies wherein soldiers were accused of being involved in cases of abduction and killing of activists and militant leaders.

Brawner said that by letting tourists into their “home,” they are teaching young people to take care of the environment as well as to develop a deeper understanding of the life soldiers have.