27,000 scouts close APR Jamboree in Zambales

BOTOLAN, Zambales — More than 27,000 scouts from 19 countries concluded the 33rd Asia Pacific Region (APR) Scout Jamboree at Camp Zambales on 20 December 2025, marking the end of a weeklong regional gathering.

The closing ceremony featured the ceremonial lighting of the Grand Campfire at the camp’s Grand Arena, led by Botolan Mayor and Deputy Camp Chief Jun Omar Ebdane in front of the delegates.

The program included a dance presentation by scouts from Nueva Ecija and a campfire yarn delivered by David Robert Baden-Powell, 5th Baron Baden-Powell, the great-grandson of Scouting founder Robert Stephenson Smyth Baden-Powell. The campfire yarn is a Scouting tradition in which a story or reflection is shared during a formal campfire ceremony.

Foreign delegations from participating countries cited logistical arrangements during the event, including security presence and food provisions, as part of their overall experience at the jamboree.

During the ceremony, a flag turnover was conducted, with Zambales Governor and Camp Chief Hermogenes E. Ebdane Jr. formally handing the flag to the Thailand scouting delegation, signaling the transfer of hosting duties for the next APR Scout Jamboree.

In his closing remarks, Ebdane Jr. said, "As the APR Scout Jamboree formally concludes, may you depart strengthened by experience, guided by purpose, and united in commitment. Carry forward the ideals of Scouting and let what was built here continue through your actions, your leadership, and your service to others."

The campfire gathering drew nearly 30,000 participants, who later joined group activities around the fire and sang the official jamboree song, “Scouts We Are One.”

Officials from the Boy Scouts of the Philippines (BSP), APR representatives, and invited guests attended the closing rites, which marked the conclusion of one of the region’s largest Scouting events.