(Soldiers in Camp Fort Magsaysay who were wounded in battles find equally noble job producing bread in “Noble Bakery” inside the camp whose income goes to help other wounded soldiers. Contributed Photo)
CAMP FORT MAGSAYSAY, Nueva Ecija – Wounded four times in separate battles, the last of which was in Marawi, Army Sgt. Eric Ubalde still has three bullet slugs in his body.
But while bidding time for the safe extraction of the bullets, he participated in an undertaking in another front aimed at helping other wounded soldiers.
He joined 58 other wounded soldiers belonging to the Special Operations Command (Socom) of the Philippine Army here on a training for a comprehensive bakery management.
The training, provided by Pilmico Foods Corp., the food subsidiary of Aboitiz Equity Ventures, Inc., was on how to cost and develop bakery products like bread, cakes, cookies, pizza dough, and a lot more.
Ubalde is now an able worker of the “Noble Bakers’ Bakery” put up by the Aboitiz Foundation in partnership with the Socom Foundation, Inc. (SFI).
Its products are patronized by a captured market that includes soldiers of the various AFP units based here, the civilian residents inside the army reservation, and the schools near this camp.
“The proceeds from this bakery operations go to the Special Operations Foundation to support the needs of our wounded soldiers while they are in the hospital and their relatives who are looking after them,” Col. Rey Aquino, Socom deputy commander said.
Call of duty
Specifically, Ubalde exemplifies the heart of a soldier answering the call of duty despite the travails in soldiery even after recovering from a number of near-death experiences. His fellow soldiers like to call him a “man of many lives” knowing that he has four bullet wounds sustained in four gunbattles.
The first time was during the Zamboanga siege. He was shot in his left leg when his group was attacked by the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF). The second was in an encounter with the bandits in Jolo, Sulu where two Australian and Canadian nationals were abducted. He was hit in the shoulder.
Last November 29, while with the Presidential Security Group (PSG) as part of the advance party for President Duterte who was set to visit Lanao del Sur the following day, he was hit in the neck when his group was ambushed.
In Marawi last May, in the company of a group clearing one of the abandoned houses, he was hit in the face by a Maute sniper’s bullet.
“I can’t move as much as I want to as the bullets are like pins piercing my body parts. The doctors said they can only be removed when the bullets move up some more so that my nerves wouldn’t be affected,” he added.
Apparently, Ubalde finds great joy in helping his fellow wounded soldiers not with the use of guns or bullets but rather with the use of baking pans and rolling pins. After his training at the Pilmico Research and Training Bakery in Paranaque City, he participated in the regular operation of the bakery here.
“I was challenged and through this I realized that it is not only in actual combat that I can help my colleagues especially those who were wounded. I know that the income derived from this bakery operation will go to our fellow wounded soldiers,” Ubalde said.
Equipment donated
Apart from the training, the Aboitiz Foundation also donated heavy-duty baking equipment like oven, mixer and baking utensils. Thus, the bakery structure built by the Socom is comparatively functional like commercial bakeries outside the camp.
Defense Secretary Delfi n Lorenzana expressed his deep gratitude to the Aboitiz Foundation for such innovative endeavor in lending assistance to the wounded soldiers.
“This is a good project that aims to benefit our disabled soldiers. I encourage all other Commands of the military to replicate this project as it is beneficial to the military community, the military dependents, and our disabled soldiers who can still and should lead productive lives,” Lorenzana said.
On its part, the Aboitiz Foundation said the project is part of its commitment to provide assistance to those who need help the most.
“It is uplifting to know that the foundation is able to help empower our soldiers. This project proves that we are able to make our resources more meaningful by using them to fulfill our promise of advancing business and communities by co-creating safe, empowered, and sustainable communities,” Maribeth Marasigan, Aboitiz Foundation first vice president and chief operating officer, said.
