Personnel of the United States Armed Forces are in Cebu for the 33rd Balikatan exercises between the Philippines and the US.
Philippine and US servicemen pose for a photo during the send-off ceremony in Camp Lapu Lapu Central Command Monday for joint civil and military operation as part of this year’s Balikatan.
(Juan Carlo de Vela|Manila Bulletin File Photo)
(Juan Carlo de Vela|Manila Bulletin File Photo)
The exercises, however, will focus on humanitarian and civil assistance, according to Lt. Col. Mendel Aguilar, commander of the Philippine Joint Civil Military Operations task force.
“Our activities are more on humanitarians and civil assistance. Meaning, constructing disaster-resilient facilities and developing our capabilities, the community capabilities. That’s why we have our cooperative engagement to transfer knowledge and skills on how we should react during emergency situations especially strong typhoons,” said Aguilar.
The personnel of the US Navy, Air Force, and Army will go to northern Cebu to help rebuild schools that were badly damaged during the onslaught of typhoon Yolanda in 2013.
The force is expected to build two school buildings each in Panay, Leyte, and Eastern Samar with the use of materials that would make the structures capable to stand against strong typhoons and other calamities.
Aguilar said Cebu was not included because the province is better off than those three provinces, specifically in terms of economic stability.
Meanwhile, the Central Command of the Armed Forces of the Philippines has declared that Bohol province is back to being safe to travel, less than two weeks after Abu Sayyaf Group members sneaked into the province.
“Actually, palagi namang safe yan eh. Mayroon lang kaunting nanggulo pero nawala na sila. Actually hindi naman sila nakapanggulo dahil naunahan natin. The people of Bohol are very active when it comes to protecting their own province,” said Aguilar.
He said mopping-up operations against the remaining three alleged ASG members are still ongoing but he assured that there is already nothing to worry about because security by the Philippine National Police is tight in the province.
Aguilar also added that military officers were doing their job 24/7 to protect the people and the visitors of Bohol.
“Safe naman, we are on top of the situation. We assure everybody that we have enough forces to secure the area and we are initiating actions that will make sure that any armed group that has no good intention on the people or visitors could not do anything there,” he said.
Other countries like Korea had issued travel advisories for their citizens not to travel to Bohol after the encounters with the terrorists in the towns of Inabanga and Clarin.
https://mb.com.ph/2020/07/07/us-troops-now-in-cebu-for-civil-operations/
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