Defense Sec. Delfin Lorenzana and Public Works Sec. Mark Villar lead inauguration of the 7ID new admin building. Contributed photo
FORT RAMON MAGSAYSAY, Palayan City – The P42.26-million new administration building of the Philippine Army’s 7th Infantry (Kaugnay) Division (7ID) was inaugurated Friday with Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana and Public Works Secretary Mark Villar leading the rites.
The infrastructure which includes the division’s tactical operation Center (TOC) was built under the Department of Public Works and Highway’s Tatag ng Imprastructura para sa Kapayapaan at Seguridad (TIKAS) program.
Lorenzana stressed that TIKAS is funded from tax payers’ money and that the DPWH and DND are merely agents implementing the projects for the government.
“Sikapin nating pag-ibayuhin ang pagganap sa ating sinumpaang tungkulin na paglingkuran ang bayan at ang ating mga kapwa Pilipino, pangalagaan natin ang respeto at tiwala ng sambayanan,” said Lorenzana.
He urged 7ID troops to take good care of the newly-inaugurated building which he stressed “is from the sweat of the Filipino people.”
Villar, on the other hand, noted that TIKAS was in accordance with Pres. Duterte’s thrust of strengthening the country’s armed forces.
“It’s an honor for me, on behalf of the President, to be here today dahil ito (the TIKAS project) po talaga ay brainchild ng ating pangulo para suportahan ang ating armed forces,” Villar said.
The DPWH is rolling out 12 more infrastructure projects amounting to P221 million within Fort Magsaysay, where 10 will be funded under the TIKAS program while, the other two will be charged under the Local Infrastructure Program.
Projects under TIKAS include construction of facilities for the Army Artillery Regiment such as the Higher Headquarters Battery; 2nd Air Defense Artillery Battery; Mobile Structures for 2nd 155-mm Self-Propelled Battery Facility; two two-storey officers’ quarters; and a headquarters building.
Other projects are a new administration building for the Special Forces Regiment (Airborne), and two two-storey barracks for the Light Reaction Regiment. To be charged under the Local Infrastructure Program are the construction of a hangar and a headquarters building for the Army Aviation Regiment.
Among other guests at the inauguration were the Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, Gen. Cirilito E. Sobejana; Northern Luzon Command chief Lt. Gen. Arnulfo Marcelo B. Burgos Jr., and the commander of the Army Support Command, Major Gen. Glenn E. Cruz, standing for the commanding general, Philippine Army, Major Gen. Andres Centino, while representing 7ID commander Major General Alfredo V Rosario Jr. was Brig. Gen. Peter Angelo L. Ramos, the assistant division commander.
It was on Feb. 28, 2020 when Villar led the ceremonial groundbreaking for the construction of a two-storey headquarters building in Fort Magsaysay to serve as the new admin building with Tactical Operations Center of 7ID.
