From Reforestation to Medical Missions: SGF Receives ‘Spearhead Partner for Peace’ Award at Pasidungog 2026
Published July 16, 2026
Share this to
The 3rd Infantry (Spearhead) Division of the Philippine Army today recognized the Sulu Garden Foundation (SGF) with the Spearhead Partner for Peace award, honoring the foundation’s sustained partnership in promoting peace, community development, and environmental stewardship. The award was presented during the 3ID’s PASIDUNGOG 2026 ceremony on July 13, 2026, at the Iloilo Provincial Capitol. 3ID Commander Maj. Gen. Marion R. Sison led the program, which cited SGF’s invaluable contributions to local communities.
SGF’s executive director, Jonathan R. Matias, alongside co-recipient Araceli A. Matias, chairman of the board, accepted the award on behalf of the organization. The Spearhead Partner for Peace plaque “recognizes steadfast partnerships” with the Army in supporting initiatives for peace and development. SGF was one of dozens of civilian leaders, agency heads, and local officials honored at the event, which brought together key stakeholders from Panay and Negros Islands. According to official sources, the awardees were chosen for their “invaluable contributions” to the 3ID mission and their role in achieving “sustainable peace, security, and development” in the Western Visayas.
The “Spearhead Partner for Peace” award highlights the deep institutional synergy between SGF and the Philippine Army’s local units, particularly the 61st Infantry (Hunter) Battalion. While SGF was formally incorporated in 2020, its collaborative footprints in community development date back over a decade.
The Spearhead Partner for Peace plaque
Central to this partnership is SGF’s flagship medical outreach initiative. Since 2014, working in close coordination with Medical Mission Matters Philippines and the 61st Infantry Battalion, the foundation has facilitated free cleft surgeries that have transformed the lives of 6,912 individuals from underserved, remote communities across the Visayas and Mindanao. The military has consistently provided critical logistical support, security, and ground-level coordination to ensure these life-altering medical missions reach the most vulnerable populations.
Beyond medical aid, SGF leads innovative environmental programs in partnership with the government. The organization initiated a “Re-Greening of Panay” project to reforest thousands of hectares of denuded land, using seedball and drone technology. SGF signed a memorandum with the Armed Forces and the Bureau of Fire Protection to coordinate island-wide tree-planting.
In December 2025, SGF hosted a forum that brought together government agencies, the military, scientists, and civil society to discuss the drone-assisted reforestation of Panay. The Army’s 61st IB has supported these efforts by providing manpower and logistics for planting activities. SGF also conducts wildlife surveys (e.g., annual bat counts) and advocates for watershed protection. Its work is rooted in long-term research and community stewardship.
The Spearhead Partner for Peace award thus validates SGF’s integrated approach to peacebuilding—one that links social services, conservation, and cultural heritage. In a statement on a similar recognition, 3ID leadership noted that achieving peace in Visayas came through the “active participation” of stakeholders and partnership between the military and civil society. SGF’s award reflects this ethos: the foundation’s initiatives have reinforced local development while strengthening the bonds between citizens and the armed forces.
As SGF enters its next phase of development, the foundation remains committed to utilizing science-based environmental innovations and cultural preservation to uplift marginalized communities. The “Spearhead Partner for Peace” award cements SGF’s role as an exemplary model of how non-governmental organizations and defense forces can collaborate harmoniously to transition communities from conflict-vulnerable areas into thriving, self-sustaining hubs of growth and heritage.
About Sulu Garden Foundation
The Sulu Garden Foundation is named after the Sulu Sea—the largest inland sea in the Philippines. Our mission concentrates on this sea and the provinces that surround it. These provinces have diverse cultures and religions, yet they all share history and traditions. The foundation has various programs and activities focused on history and heritage, the arts, nature conservation, research and development, and community.
