AFP awards UN Service Medals to peacekeepers from Liberia

From the Philippine News Agency (Dec 4): AFP awards UN Service Medals to peacekeepers from Liberia

After completing their 21-day quarantine period in Caballo Island, officers and enlisted personnel of the 18th Philippine Contingent to Liberia (PCL) were given their well-deserved Heroes' Welcome Thursday afternoon.

The 110 members of the 18th PCL were formally welcomed by Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief-of-staff Gen. Gregorio Catapang.

Catapang also led the awarding of the United Nation Service Medals to the peacekeepers.

Defense Secretary Honorable Voltaire T. Gazmin graced the occasion.

“These peacekeepers showed once again the heroism, bravery, and commitment of our soldiers. I am happy for them that they can now formally join their families after their long tour in Liberia and the quarantine period they had in Caballo Island,” Catapang said.

After their Heroes’ Welcome, Catapang gave the order allowing the peacekeepers to spend the coming Christmas holidays with their loved ones.

They will be reporting back to the AFP Peacekeeping Operations Center after celebrating Christmas and New Year.

The country started providing a peacekeeping contingent to Liberia in accordance with the UN Resolution 1509 in September 2003 that established the UN Mission in Liberia (UNMIL).

It is tasked to assist in the maintenance of law and order in the country following a ceasefire that ended the Second Liberian Civil War.

The Filipino peacekeepers unit was tasked to provide force security to the headquarters and UNMIL leadership and in providing administrative services to the force headquarters.

One of the senior officers of the 18th PCL is Lt. Col. Samuel Villacrusis, the unit's deputy commander.

According to him, the primary challenge of the Filipino peacekeepers in Liberia is to secure UN VIPs amid the volatile security situation in that country.

“Our peacekeepers enjoy the trust of the UN leadership, which is why they chose us to be part of force security,” Villacrusis said.

During that time, the peacekeepers had enough freedom to visit popular places near their headquarters in Bushrod Island in Monrovia, particularly the Riverview and Caesar Beach, Royal Hotel, and Firestone, a rubber plantation in Liberia.

The situation, however, changed when the Ebola Virus Disease first broke out in February and again in May.

Since then, the movements of the peacekeepers were restricted to mission-essential areas, like their office and official itineraries of VIPs.

As medical non-commissioned officer of the 18th PCL, Technical Sgt. Vicente Alcoy was among those in charge of ensuring that the peacekeepers abide by the protocol laid out by UNMIL to prevent acquiring the dreaded disease.

“After our contingent commander ordered us to stay away from populated areas, my everyday duties included ensuring that our peacekeepers follow preventive measures like wearing surgical gloves, goggles, and masks,” Alcoy said.

The lives of peacekeepers inside their barracks did not change much, however, as they continued to be in touch with their loved ones in the country.

Alcoy used his free time talking to his family in Cavite via cellphone, particularly in checking the condition of his wife, Rachel, who had undergone a kidney operation before his deployment to Liberia.

“I only get to call her on the phone but because of that, I learned that her condition got better. The additional compensation from the UN also helped in sustaining her medication,” Alcoy said.

Despite the threat of Ebola, the Filipino peacekeepers remained relatively safe from infection.

This is because the nature of their mission did not entail direct contact with the locals, particularly patients infected with Ebola.

“Even after the first outbreak of Ebola in February this year, we remained focused on our mission of providing security to the force headquarters and commanders and in providing administrative duties,” Villacrusis stressed.

The peacekeepers remained in Liberia until the end of their extended tour of duty, which was supposedly for nine months at the maximum.

The peacekeepers were deployed for 11 months in Liberia to facilitate also the permanent pull-out of the contingent.

“We received news from the Department of National Defense that we will have to pull out. Eventually, we were warned of our imminent repatriation in November, so we had to pack-up not only our personal belongings but also the equipment and facilities of the entire contingent,” Villacrusis said.

The peacekeepers informed their families of their repatriation and the 21-day quarantine that will further delay their meeting.

They both said that the peacekeepers and their families understood the necessity of the quarantine.

Members of the 18th PCL along with some staff officers and military observers of UNMIL were immediately brought to Caballo Island shortly after their arrival in Nov. 12.

The quarantine was a measure implemented to ensure that the country will remain Ebola-free.

Catapang ensured the peacekeepers of a fun, productive, and relaxing stay in Caballo Island.

Joint Task Group-Liberia, a special unit activated to supervise the quarantine, prepared games and activities for the peacekeepers.

Air-conditioned, wifi-ready, and cable TV-equipped billeting areas were also prepared.

Prior to their arrival at Caballo Island, some peacekeepers were worried of the situation they will be in during the quarantine.

However, their fears were allayed upon arrival there.

“Our misconceptions suddenly shifted to amazement. I felt that the efforts of the Task Group Liberia (TGL) and the Philippine Air Force (PAF) should be commended,” Technical Sgt. Orlando B. Harion, a force engineer clerk of UNMIL, said.

Catapang also wanted to ensure that the peacekeepers could freely communicate with their families, which was important in keeping their morale high while in the island.

“They gave us everything we needed. We have internet connection and strong phone signal so we could talk to our families as much as we want. We felt at home because we could also see our family over the internet,” Alcoy said.

Apart from their daily body temperature monitoring, the peacekeepers were also subjected to physical and mental conditioning through sports and board games.

“Daily activities were set so that the peacekeepers will be occupied. The day usually starts with the cleaning of our surroundings, physical exercises followed by some sports activities where we compete with the other teams from other Igloos,” Harion added.

According to Villacrusis, Caballo Island was more than they expected.

“We were generally happy and in high-morale. As officer-in-charge and on behalf of the peacekeepers in Caballo Island, I want to extend our gratitude to our top leadership, especially to General Catapang, for making our quarantine a truly memorable experience,” Villacrusis concluded.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=712702