Pacific Partnership 2014 pours in USD380,000 for civic action programs in Tacloban City, Palo

From the Philippine News Agency (Jun 18): Pacific Partnership 2014 pours in USD380,000 for civic action programs in Tacloban City, Palo

Some USD380,000 worth of engineering works and other humanitarian civic programs will be poured in Tacloban City and Palo, Leyte for the last leg of the Pacific Partnership 2014 (PP 14).

Col. Arnulfo Matanguihan, task force commander of the PP 14 –Leyte, said that engineering works kicked off today, Wednesday with the United States and the Philippine Armed Forces engineers taking the lead.

The construction of four-classroom and science buildings at the San Fernando Central Elementary School, another science building at the Castilla Elementary School in Palo and reconstruction of the outpatient building of the Tacloban City Hospital simultaneously kicked off today with 22 engineers from the US military contingent and their counterparts from the AFP working on the projects.

Matanguihan said that a Japanese vessel is slated to anchor near Tacloban in July 4 bringing in medical, dental and veterinary doctors for the series of civic actions slated at the Eastern Visayas Regional Medical Center and health centers in San Jose and Diit, all in Tacloban City.

They will be joined by their counterparts from the military contingents of US, AFP, Australia and Malaysia.

“These are the countries that helped us immediately after Yolanda,” he said.

Meanwhile, Lt. Ronald M. Piramide of the US Navy and the officer-in-charge of the PP14-Philippines said he feels “great” helping his “kababayans” who were affected by Yolanda.

Both his parents are native of Padre Burgos, Southern Leyte but migrated in the US. However, every two years, he takes time to go home to the province.

Piramide cited that there has been a “great difference” in places that were ravaged by Yolanda since the last time he did site visits in March and January this year.

“A lot of work has been going on in Tacloban; it feels fantastic,” he said.

He also disclosed that the activities that they will be doing were based on the request of the host country.

Meanwhile, Matangguihan said that a ceremony will be held to culminate the Joint Task Force Pacific Partnership 2014 this month.

Prior to the Philippines, the military continents already passed by Indonesia, East Timor, Vietnam and Cambodia, he added.

The activity, he said, is an annual exercise that has been going on for about 10 years in partnership with the military and humanitarian and government agencies focusing on civic action programs.

In 2012, the province of Samar was also identified as venue of the partnership.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=654602