AFP fetes 100 SK soldiers for 'Yolanda' relief efforts

From the Philippine News Agency (May 3): AFP fetes 100 SK soldiers for 'Yolanda' relief efforts

Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief-of-staff Gen. Emmanuel T. Bautista awarded 100 South Korean soldiers in Palo, Leyte Saturday with the Military Civic Action Medal for their immediate humanitarian and relief assistance to victims of Supetyphoon "Yolanda" last Nov. 8.

Awarding ceremonies took place at the base camp of the Republic of Korea Armed Forces (ROKAF) in Barangay Candahug, Palo town, Leyte.

AFP chief-of-staff Gen. Emmanuel Bautista headed the ceremonies.

After Typhoon "Yolanda" hit the country last November, the military volunteers from the Korean armed forces were one of the first groups who rendered immediate humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR) and clearing operations on places severely affected particularly in the Visayas Region, provinces of Eastern Samar, Eastern Leyte and in Ormoc.

South Korean military personnel in cooperation with the AFP, national government agencies and other local government units were deployed all over the affected areas and participated in the delivery of relief goods and other humanitarian services even in inaccessible areas which were isolated for days without food and water.

The military volunteers also gave free meals to more than 400 school children together with their families, repaired local infrastructures, and rendered free medical services to victims of the typhoon.

In his speech, Bautista expressed his gratitude to the Korean contingent for their outstanding achievement in support of the AFP’s HADR operations in the Yolanda-affected areas.

“On behalf of the Filipino people, I would like to express my gratitude to our partners from the Korean Armed Forces who were one of the first countries to arrive in the Philippines and helped us in rendering humanitarian and relief services to our people greatly affected by Typhoon Yolanda,” he added.

“We were together back in the Korean War, and now we are together in Leyte to celebrate our continued partnership as longtime allies. We are confident that together, we can overcome all challenges that might come in the future,” Bautista pointed out.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=640274