Nothing Beats the Indomitable Spirit of Passionate Volunteers

Kit Coronel
Feb 2
2 min read

Updated: Feb 4

Barili, Cebu — February 1, 2026. Forty-two members of Blasert Force 568 Inc. braved the early dawn chill on Sunday to bring their advocacy to the mountain barangay of Mayana, Barili. The day’s program was packed with activities: tree-growing, tai chi and wu shu exercises, a Drug Abuse Prevention Education (D.A.P.E.) lecture, and the rollout of the Merit and Performance Systems (M.A.P.S.) Incentive Scheme.

The volunteers assembled at the headquarters at around 5:00 a.m., warming up with coffee before departing at 5:45. Their journey was heavily delayed by major traffic caused by a tragic road accident near APO Cement Co. in Brgy. Inoburan, Naga City. Despite the setback, the group reached Sitio Lamac shortly after 8:00 a.m., where fellow members were already waiting.

The program began with stretching and martial arts exercises (Tai Chi & Wu Shu) led by BFCOL Osias R. Cartagena Jr., Associate Director for Membership, Education, Training & Development (METDev). This was followed by a tree-growing activity on a two-hectare farmland owned by Sibonga Municipal Commander BFLT Jimmy T. Barimbad. Volunteers planted more than 300 seedlings of narra, molave, jackfruit, and guava, covering half of the property.

Before lunch, Founder and Chairman Kit Coronel introduced the new M.A.P.S. Incentive Scheme, which was met with enthusiasm by members eager to participate in future activities. Lunch featured freshly prepared goat stew (kaldereta’ng kambing) from Cmdr. Barimbad’s farm, providing a hearty meal for the hardworking volunteers.

In the afternoon, Coronel opened a session on drug abuse prevention, with Cmdrs. Tito Pondoyo and Reynald Baylon delivering lectures. Coronel encouraged members to pursue accreditation as PDEA lecturers, with BFCOL Eliseo G. Rapana expressing his excitement to join the next batch of trainees.

The day concluded with Cmdr. Barimbad thanking the group for their dedication and inviting them to return for the next tree-growing activity to complete planting on the remaining half of his property.

Many thanks to our partners who we regularly collaborate with for these activities: the Knights of Rizal - District 30 Chapter, NY led by its Chapter Commander, Sir Flo Coronel, KCR and the United Federation of Fil-Am Educators (UNIFFIED) NJ Chapter headed by its President, Dr. Catalina Suerte.