After 12 years, the Girl Scouts of the Philippines (GSP) have found their new Chief Girl Scout as they formally conferred the title on First Lady Louise Araneta-Marcos in Malacañang on Thursday, Nov. 3.
In her speech during the investiture ceremony, Marcos recognized the GSP for tirelessly delivering its mission to "prepare young women for their responsibilities in the home, the nation, and the world community”.
She said the title is one she was truly proud of. Under the GSP charter, the lady president or the first lady is designated as the Chief Girl Scout.
"It is a title that I will truly be proud of... not only because of its meaningful history but more so because it will allow me to help our young women cultivate the same values that I learned when I was a Girl Scout in school," Marcos said.
The First Lady recalled that in her experience as a girl scout, she was taught to help the community by planting trees to help the environment, something that could have been helpful during the recent onslaught of Severe Tropical Storm “Paeng”.
"Who would've thought that years later, especially with the recent onslaught of Typhoon Paeng, something as basic as tree planting would be of vital importance?,” she said.
'Have we planted trees, or maybe we could plant more trees, then maybe the calamities wouldn't be as grave as they are," she added.
According to Marcos, climate change is "real" and the GSP could help protect the environment.
"Climate change is real. Climate change is a problem," she said.
"If we can find ways to help our environment, we will definitely be able to help our community and our country," she added.
The First Lady concluded her speech by expressing her commitment to contributing to nation-building.
"As part of the Girl Scout movement, I am committed to help shape our young women's mental, emotional and social qualities. I will strive to help our environment and do our part towards nation-building. Together, we will achieve these goals," she said.