‘Alab Ng Puso’ Sculpture Honoring Heroism of Soldiers Unveiled At BGC

A sculpture honoring the gallantry of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) was unveiled on Monday at the Bonifacio Global City in Fort Bonifacio, a former military camp.

Apart from members of the AFP, the unveiling of Alab ng Puso (Fire in the Heart) was attended by Taguig Rep. Pia Cayetano, officials from the Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA), Fort Bonifacio Development Corporation (FBDC), and the Bonifacio Art Foundation, Inc. (BAFI) and the City of Taguig.

AFP Vice Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Salvador Melchor Mison Jr., representative of President Rodrigo Duterte, said Alab ng Puso “signifies the burning fire in the heart of every Filipino.”

Mison read the message of outgoing AFP Chief General Rey Leonardo Guerrero: “We stand in tribute to all those who have made it possible for the Republic to stand tall and free among community of nations–the gallant soldiers, unsung heroes and selfless patriots, this is our monument to their fire and heroism.”

Mison said the sculpture of artist Daniel dela Cruz is a “morale booster” to the men and women in uniform to do better.

“By your hands and your vision, you honor every soldier, sailor, marine, and airman who have pledged to serve, who has put our country first above all else,” he said.

BCDA President and Chief Executive Officer Vivencio Dizon said the installation of historical markers was an idea of BCDA Chairman Gregorio Garcia III.

“This is just the beginning. We’re currently working on more tribute markers for our soldiers,” Dizon said.

Dizon said the sculpture is also an initiative to promote the history behind the Bonifacio Global City. BGC, now a premier business district in the country, is one of the biggest projects of BCDA, mandated to transform former military camps into centers of economic growth.

“Looking back at our cherished history is so important. The history of Fort Bonifacio is really very much ingrained and very deep in the hearts of our soldiers; and it should be the same for each and every Filipino who goes here,” he said.

BCDA also helps build great cities while strengthening the Armed Forces, remitting P8.2 billion to the AFP during the first two years of the Duterte administration.

Lt. Gen. Rolando Joselito Bautista, Commanding General of the Philippine Army, said the Alab ng Puso will serve as an inspiration to soldiers fighting at the battlefronts.

“As we stand here today, our soldiers are continuously fighting in the different battlefronts nationwide, not only in Marawi City. It is a fight against terror, it is a fight for peace, and it is a fight that our troops are willing to take,” Bautista said in his message read by Army Vice Commander Maj. Gen. Robert Arevalo.

Alab ng Puso portrays an ordinary Filipino soldier with his weapon set aside, reading a letter from his family.

“Alab ng Puso shows that the Filipino soldiers answer to an extraordinary call of duty but at the same time, he is also like the rest of us who value the same things that we all have in common,” Manny Blas II, FBDC head of commercial operations, said. (BCDA/ Photo by Priam Nepomuceno – PNA)