AMPATUAN, Maguindanao — Soldiers belonging to the Army’s First Mechanized Battalion took time out from their work of securing the area and extended medical outreach program to indigent residents of this town on Sunday.
Led by Lt. Col. Lauro Oliveros, commander of the 1st Mechanized Infantry Battalion (MIB), military doctors and health providers from Maguindanao Integrated Provincial Health Office extended medical services to some 200 residents of Barangay Tomicor, a known Indigenous People (IP) community in the province.
Oliveros said the outreach program was also participated by Ampatuan Mayor Rasol Sangki and Capt. Edgel De Vera, chief of 11th Mechanized Company.
The soldiers, called in military parlance as “Lakan soldiers,” in partnership with IPHO, conducted medical consultation, dental and circumcision operations and free haircut.
On the other hand, the town government conducted birth certificate registration to the residents who don’t have birth certificate yet, which ended up with a total of 272 beneficiaries.
The activity was facilitated by the Army’s Community Support Program (CSP) Team led by 2nd Lt. Gipsy Labaniego, in connection with their immersion in the area.
Oliveros, who described the activity as a success, noted that medical missions in impoverished areas are important for the IPs for them to feel the presence of the government as well as to bring the unit, particularly the “Lakan” Battalion, closer to the people.
He added that the activity was also a big help to change the negative perception of the IPs towards men in uniform.
“Thus, their mind-set, especially of the children, would be towards cooperation with the government in order to attain a long and lasting peace,” Oliveros explicated. (Noel Punzalan and Edwin Fernandez/PNA)
