Pangasinan hosts nat’l scout camp

LINGAYEN, Pangasinan, Philippines – With the theme “Scouting for the Environment,” the Boy Scouts of the Philippines’ 6th National Scout Venture Camp opened at the capitol plaza here this week with Gov. Amado Espino Jr. as camp chief and guest speaker.

A grand parade and recognition of all the participating councils of about 3,000 scouts from all over the country preceded the opening ceremonies.

Espino said scouting contributes a great deal to the betterment and development of society. “I believed then as I still believe now that the best experience and training I got was by being a boy scout,” he said.

Espino urged the scouts to always remember and memorize the Scout Law and the mission and vision of scouting, saying, “We are better off, far better off than those who did not become scouts.”

He then told the scouts from the country’s 118 councils to explore Pangasinan, assuring them of their security and all other necessary support the provincial government can give.

Holding camps at the sprawling capitol beachfront, the scouts come from different high schools in northeastern Luzon, Central Luzon, National Capital Region, Southern Tagalog, Bicol, Western and Eastern Visayas, Western and Eastern Mindanao, and Ilocos region.

In his speech, BSP acting secretary general and senior vice president Wendel Avisado thanked Espino for the preparations undertaken by the provincial government as host of the six-day event.