August, 2008

MT. MAKILING

A place of fabled land and stunning landscape;

Where the trees are taller and the grass is greener.

NATURE CALLS

Welcome to the fabled land of stunning landscaped.  Sixty-five kilometers southeast of Manila lies the only tropical rainforest close to the capital city.  It is located in the Municipality of Los Baños, a resort town famous for its hot springs and local delicacies.  Thousands of local and foreign tourists flock to this place annually to find solace from the sweltering heat and the hustle and bustle of the city life.  It can be reached through local transportation like buses and jeepneys.

At the heart of Mt. Makiling is the Philippine Scouting Center for Asia Pacific Region, a reservation untouched by civilization’s greed for rapid development.

The camp, which sits on the slope a thousand meters above sea level, offers a commanding view of Laguna de Bay, Manila and some nearby towns in Laguna, and the provinces of Cavite and Batangas, equally popular for lush forests and sandy beaches.

Located near the camp are various scientific and educational establishments like the University of the Philippines – Los Baños (UPLB), the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) where the miracle rice was grown and developed, the Philippine Council for Agriculture Resources and Development (PCARD), the National Arts Center that nurtures talented young students in the visual and performing arts, the Pook ni Mariang Makiling, a resort adjacent to the camp’s swimming pool, and the historic site where General Yamashita of the Japanese Imperial Army was executed and believed to have buried a treasure.

Mt. Makiling was the venue of the 10th World Scout Jamboree in 1959.  To celebrate 50 years of Scouting in the Philippines, the BSP held its Golden Jubilee Jamboree in 1973 co-incident with the first Asia-Pacific Regional Scout Jamboree in Mt. Makiling.  It was also the host of the 12th Asia-Pacific and BSP National Jamboree in 1991.  In 1994, the camp hosted the first ASEAN Jamboree, a gathering of Scouts and Scouters from member countries of the Association of South East Asian Nations.

Fifty years after the hosting of the 10th World Jamboree, Mt. Makiling will once again open its arms to host the 26th Asia-Pacific Regional Scout Jamboree.

-o0o-

Where is the Philippines?

Where is Mt. Makiling?

Scouts can look forward to a week full of fun and exciting activities such as:

Jungle Survival

Emergency Preparedness

Global Development Village

Outdoor Challenges

Water Adventures

Cultural Exchanges

Cooperative Learning

Arts and Crafts

Community Service

Learn and have fun

Meet new friends

Scouts:  Creating a Better World

Epitomize the spirit of Solidarity, Harmony, Altruism, Respect and Equality (SHARE) among Scouts of APR despite variances in race, creed and beliefs; that if all people in this world live the Scouting way, together we can create a better world.

Harmony

Equality

Brotherhood

The basic structure of the logo is an abstract of the Scout Sign – the universal symbol of the Movement that unites Scouts from all over the world.

The three bars that taper upwards are rendered in green to emphasize the importance of balancing socio-economic concerns, technology enhancement and the preservation of the natural environment as emphasized in the color.

The overlapping blue and red archers circling the APR badge illustrates the fun and adventure and the varied challenges that Scouts in the Asia-Pacific will experience together in the Jamboree.

Top most is the “Salakot” with the BSP badge depicting hospitality and industriousness – the common traits of the Filipino people. It also represents the Philippines as host of the Jamboree.

The gold-yellow background is a reminder of the golden years of Scouting in BSP from the 10th World Scout Jamboree (1959) to the 26th Asia-Pacific Regional Scout Jamboree (2009), which are held on the same venue.