The Philippine Army 302nd Infantry Brigade based in Tanjay City, Negros Oriental conducted a Family Welfare Support program for its soldiers and their wives yesterday to strengthen family ties and marital relationships.

At least 20 couples, some from Iloilo, Cebu and Bacolod, attended the activity that focused on family planning, responsible parenthood and marriage enrichment.

Col. Francisco Patrimonio, Brigade commander, said there is a high incidence of failed marriages in the military because of the nature of the job. He said soldiers are always on the go, and the unity of the family is affected as they are away most of the time. In many cases, the wife is left to take care of the children and acts as both mother and father, and the husband becomes vulnerable to temptation, he added.

The activity is part of the Gender and Development program of the government to address family-related issues, like maltreatment and neglect, Patrimonio said.

He said enlisted personnel are allowed to take their families with them up to the battalion level, but not at the company headquarters or detachments, for security reasons.

In fact, some families of the soldiers are residing at the Gawad Kalinga housing project near the Brigade headquarters in Tanjay, Patrimonio said.

He said soldiers, whose families live near their present assignments, find it beneficial, as children are less affected by the distance between them and their father and overhead expenses are minimized.*JFP

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