By Saul Pa-a | PNA
PANGUIL, Laguna — Village folks in the remote hillside of Barangay Balian here were among the recipients of a day-long community health care engagement (CHE), a “Balikatan” activity involving the defense forces of the Philippines, the US and Australia.
In an interview with the Philippine News Agency (PNA), Lt. Commander Liz Vidallon of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) public affairs office said the CHE is part of the 35th iteration of the Philippines-US joint “Balikatan” exercises, being participated in by 4,000 Filipino soldiers, 3,500 American troops, and 50 members of the Australian defense force.
An AFP contingent and about 12 members of the US and three Australian defense forces joined the humanitarian and civic assistance projects in this primarily agricultural town.
Vidallon said the soldiers are grouped in different teams for the series of activities and tasks conducted in parts of northern and southern Luzon.
Although the “bayanihan” (helping together) engagement kicked off April 1, the engineering team began construction of the three two-room classroom buildings and a village medical clinic here last month and they are expected to be completed in time for the culminating activities on April 12, she added.
“Bayanihan” activities serve to empower local communities through training on basic life support, disaster preparedness, cardiopulmonary resuscitation, and first aid, among others, which could be applied during disasters, she said.
“It is best for local communities to be the first responders,” Vidallon said.
The training courses have been suggested by local authorities and the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) to capacitate villagers to be resilient during calamity or disaster.
“These lectures are being conducted depending on the need of the local people. We conducted initial interviews and site validations prior to the community engagements,” Lt. Mary Morin, US Navy officer-in-charge of the CHE, told PNA.
Activities also included the construction of a school building, circumcision of some 60 boys, physical hygiene, oral hygiene, veterinary care, vector management and other public health concerns.
“We’re all excited to be here, in this beautiful barangay, drawing amazing support from the community by helping us get together. Every locality that we visited is very welcoming and that they are really accepting our help and support, and we are also bringing supplies for the people,” Morin said.
She also described the excitement among mothers and children who gathered for the lectures and puppet show by the Australian team led by an environmental health officer doing the educational activity in the classroom.
“Right now is purely work,” she said. “Every place that we’ve been to is beautiful and we expect other places would be amazing as well.”
Meanwhile, 2nd Lt. Tori Sharpe, Communications Strategy and Operations Officer of the 3D Marine Logistics Group of the US Marine Corps “Sustaining the Pacific”, said their team of engineering, medical, dental, environmental health and basic life support is “here to share their craft.”
“Being able to work together in order to respond and help people is truly amazing. Hoping these engagements would have lasting impacts,” Sharpe said.
