US pilots play big brothers to Tacloban children

From the Philippine News Agency (May 14): US pilots play big brothers to Tacloban children 

Major Justin Hill, a United States Marine Corps member, piloted the C-130 aircraft that brought on Saturday morning a composite team of volunteer medics who come from the PHL-US Balikatan Exercise 2014 being held in Albay.

With them were Albay-based mediamen, including this stringer.

It took the plane almost one hour in the air from Legazpi airport to the Tacloban (Daniel Z. Romualdez) airport.

Hill confessed that it was his first time to land in that airport.

The Balikatan Exercise 2014 group that went to Tacloban City was composed of combined medical personnel from the Armed Forces of the Philippines, US and Australia, including support personnel.

The team’s mission was to conduct a medical mission to the typhoon-stricken villagers now housed in tents at the Fisherman’s Village Elementary School in Barangay 88.

Hill and his co-pilot, USMC Captain Christopher J. Kim, also proceeded to the Fisherman’s Village Elementary School.

He sat beside Jesusa Garido, 7, who was sketching a home surrounded with trees and with children playing nearby as the sun smiled at her dream house.

In front of the friendly USMC pilots were John Rey Lago, 12, and his friends Jake Obias, 10, and John Paul Garido, 10.

These children are among the residents displaced by powerful typhoon “Yolanda” (International name: Haiyan) that left massive devastation on government and private properties, killed more than 6,000 people and rendered homeless tens of thousands of people who are now currently living in the tent city.

Hill and Kim served as teachers and big brothers for a few hours to Jesusa, Jake, John Rey, John Paul and other children whose parents lined up for the free medical services provided by the medical team.

Unlike Hill, Kim had served for a month in Tacloban City in a humanitarian service mission that brought food stuff, water, medicines and other necessities of the typhoon victims.

He flew from Okinawa, Japan to Tacloban.

“I was here for a month during the height of the relief mission -- dropped off food, water and other supplies and transported people to Manila. But this is my first time to interact with the children and typhoon Haiyan survivors personally, and I’m happy to be with them,” Kim said.

As the pilots played with and exchanged pleasantries with the children in an open space covered with tarpaulin within the compound of the school, buddies John Ray and Jake shared their trauma through drawings.

John illustrated his artwork that showed a volcano, a sea with big waves engulfing houses and his friend running for safety.

John handed his drawing over to Hill, who said John’s art work represents his experience when Haiyan hit Tacloban City on November 8, 2013.

“It represents what he saw,” Hill said.

John Paul drew a helicopter and gave it to Kim as his way of expressing “thank you” for helping them.

When asked why he sketched a chopper, John Paul said he wanted to thank the soldiers for giving them food during the hardest time of their lives after the onslaught of Yolanda.

Beyond the innocence and happy smiles of the typhoon-stricken children currently packed up in the tent city, they said their ultimate wish is to have a new home for them to be able to live a normal life again.

Their problems are lack of potable water, unsanitary surroundings and the impact of extreme weather, said Myrna Vallan, 30.

Myrna’s mother, Corazon, 54, died on Jan. 1 while housed in the tent city due to diarrhea.

“We’re facing extreme hardship here, no enough food, no water and very unsafe due to unhealthy surroundings,” she said.

Diarrhea, fever and cough are the most common diseases they incur, Myrna added.

“On daytime, it is very hot here and so cold during nighttime and this situation aggravates our bad condition,” she lamented.

Myrna said the arrival of US, AFP and Australian humanitarian medical team was very timely as his son Raymart, 6, has been suffering from diarrhea and fever.

Rochiel Lacaba, 33, mother of three-year-old girl Alexis, said their pressing concerns are the possible spread of diseases, lack of food and water.

“Thanks to these soldiers for conducting this medical mission because we can now avail of free medicines and check-up for our ailing children,” Lacaba said.

The volunteer medics were led by US Marine Major Jason Johnson and Navy Captain Ramon Raneles of the AFP.

The Balikatan is a long-standing military activity between US and Philippines troops which has strengthened the relationship between the two countries.

Balikatan 2014, the 30th strong bilateral exercise, focuses on humanitarian assistance and disaster response where soldiers from the two countries work together, or shoulder-to-shoulder, to improve each other’s military forces, especially during disaster response episodes.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=643678