By Edwin Fernandez/PNA

KIDAPAWAN CITY – A total of 95 senior high school students from Carmen National High School on Thursday completed a four-day immersion program with soldiers at the headquarters of Army’s 602nd Infantry Brigade in Carmen, North Cotabato.
Brig. Gen. Alfredo Rosario Jr., brigade commander, shared wisdom to the program participants. Speaking on the last day of the immersion course, he spoke as a concerned father and reminded the youth that there is always a right time for everything.
“While finding love is part of life’s journeys, at this moment, they are, first of all, children to their parents, and their utmost priority should be their education,” Rosario said.
For the students, aged 17 to 18 years, their participation in the four-day event meant returning home with lessons learned about discipline, dedication, and hard work.
During the initial phase of the program, Rosario said he talked to the students about patriotism. “As young, as you are, you should learn to be passionate about the country and the Filipino people,” he said.
Rosario also spoke about idealism and stressed the importance of being able to discern between expectation and reality.
“Life is a choice. And in life, people are expected to make decisions that will direct the course of their lives,” he told the students.
Rosario reminded the youth to make it a habit to pray before making choices and decisions, for a single decision could later have an impact on the country and the Filipino people.
He also touched on the characteristic of passion and how it takes away pain and strife that are often associated with work.
“Find something that will bring you joy because passion is fuel and it has the capacity to propel you towards the fulfillment of your hopes and dreams,” he said.