PEACE BY PEACE
As a young lieutenant who just completed my Scout Ranger course in 1985, I felt that I could overcome any challenge that came my way. Little did I know that the knowledge and skills that I learned during that intensive training would be tested in the jungles of Agusan del Norte and Surigao del Sur in December 1985.
The 2nd Scout Ranger Battalion that I belonged to was deployed in Cabadbaran-Puting Bato, near the mountain boundaries of Mt. Mabaho. I was tasked to lead a platoon during a month-long combat operation. One day, as we navigated the thick jungle, we realized that we had lost our way.
Days turned into weeks. All of us were already exhausted, hungry, and dehydrated. The jungle’s thick foliage and unfamiliar terrain disoriented even the most experienced among us. We had no clear direction, signal and sustenance. All of us were cut off from the outside world. And then, help came from the least expected place.
A member of the Mamanwa-Manobo tribe found us.
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