By Mary May A. Abellon
DIPOLOG CITY – A total of 1,610 junior and senior boy scouts joined the 12th
Zamboanga del Norte, Dipolog, Dapitan (ZANDIDAP) Council Urban Scout Jamboree
held at the Zamboanga del Norte Sports Complex in this city last Nov. 13-17.
The participants who were
divided into four sub-camps with their teacher-coaches came from 68 schools in
the province including the two cities of Dipolog and Dapitan.
The four sub-camps were “Makakalikasan”
for participants from the first and second congressional districts, “Makadiyos”
for third district, “Makatao” for Dipolog City, and “Makabansa” for Dapitan
City.
Coinciding with the 60th
anniversary of the Boy Scout of the Philippines (BSP), the activity was anchored
on the theme, “Scouting: Education for Life,” which implies that the scouting
activities are designed to develop every scout to become independent and to
survive any challenges that may come his way.
In her message during the
opening program, Schools Superintendent Natividad P. Bayubay of the Zamboanga
del Norte schools division reminded the participants of the environmental
issues confronting the country like the earthquake in Bohol and the strong
typhoon that hit Leyte.
“Let us dedicate this
urban jamboree to the global movement to save what has been left on earth. Let
us link arms to break the barriers of race, ideology and political belief to
make this province, region, nation and this world a better place to live in,”
said Bayubay who also served as division scouting commissioner.
She, however, urged the
scouts to make new friends, share experience and make most of the once-in-a
life time experience of the jamboree.
Among the activities
conducted during the whole duration of the jamboree were leadership training,
lectures, community immersion, tree planting, teambuilding, etc. with emphases
on climate change adaptation and mitigation, disaster preparedness, environmental
protection and responding to any emergencies. (PIA9)