Buy ‘Support Our Troops’ T-shirts, help Marawi siege victims Centcom to launch fundraising drive

CEBUANOS are encouraged to buy “Support Our Troops” T-shirts sold by the AFP Central Command (AFP Centcom) to help raise funds for the hundreds of families displaced by the fighting in Marawi City.

These black T-shirts with the message “Support our troops,” and a Philippine flag emblazoned on the front part of the shirt, which were then sold by the AFP in June in Manila at a low price to boost the morale of soldiers in the Marawi siege, would be made available in Cebu starting Monday at the Ayala Center Cebu mall.

Col. Medel Aguilar, assistant chief for the Unified Staff for Civil Military Operation of the Armed Forces of the Philippines Central Command (AFP Centcom), said that the each t-shirt would be be sold at P150 each and the proceeds of this undertaking would be used to buy relief goods for the displaced families of Marawi City.

Aguilar said the fundraising project will be launched on Monday with the opening of the “Support Our Soldiers” booth at the Ayala mall.

The AFP Centcom had also partnered with nongovernment organizations such as the “Dream Big Project,” which would supply the personnel to man the booth at the Ayala mall.

These line of T-shirts were sold by the AFP starting last June at the AFP Civil Relations Service and at Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City.

The shirts were then meant to show support for the troops and not part of a fundraising activity.

AFP CRS chief Maj. Gen. Ronnie Evangelista said in an Inquirer report in early June that since these shirts were for generating funds, then they were selling it at a price equivalent to the production cost.

Evangelista said that the idea was for the buyers to wear it.

He said that if you wear the shirt, you are already supporting the troops because anybody who could read the message on the shirt would be encouraged to buy one and support the troops.