Soldiers participating in Balikatan conduct humanitarian works in Nueva Ecija

From the Philippine News Agency (May 13): Soldiers participating in Balikatan conduct humanitarian works in Nueva Ecija

Philippine and American soldiers engaged in the current Balikatan 2014 are conducting humanitarian assistance and disaster response, apart from doing live fire exercises.

Recently, US Army troops mended fences of an elementary school in Barangay Soledad in Sta. Rosa and constructed a solar driver-cum-basketball court for use of the village farmers in drying their palay crops and the youngsters in their sports activities.

US Army 1st Lt. Dane Sawyer, chief public affairs officer and Philippine Army’s 7th Infantry (“Kaugnay”) Division public affairs officer Capt. Mark Anthony Resuelos said in an interview over private radio station DWJJ-MultiNetwork Community Network Television 16 based in Cabanatuan City, that the joint military undertaking which is already in its 30th year “aims to win the peace” in the countryside as well as in the Pacific region.

“Balikatan” means “shoulder to shoulder,” and connotes the long time alliance between the Philippines and America.

Sawyer said the current joint military exercise is intended to beef up the two countries' military capability and combat readiness to respond to any security threats as well as extending humanitarian assistance and disaster response, whenever needed.

Sawyer emphasized that after the Balikatan 2014 exercises, the American troops will withdraw and rejoin their mother units.

The two-week joint military exercises here started on May 5.

In general principle, to quote Armed Forces of the Philippines Chief of Staff Gen. Emmanuel Bautista, Balikatan is “a key factor in advancing peace and security in the Asia-Pacific despite the ever evolving regional security challenges.”

About 5,500 Filipino and American troops are said to be taking part in the two-week undertaking in different parts of Luzon.

The exercise is expected to display US F-18 fighter jets conducting bombing runs and troops engaged in live fire drills.

Venues of this year’s Balikatan are Eastern Visayas, the Bicol Region, Palawan, Tarlac, Pampanga, Zambales, and Nueva Ecija.

In the Eastern Visayas and Bicol, the joint exercises are mainly humanitarian activities.

In the Central Luzon area, live air and ground fire exercises will be held at Crow Valley in Tarlac, while joint and survival combat training will be held in the jungles of Fort Magsaysay in Nueva Ecija.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=643091