Kalinaw News: AFP Chief commends troops for Community-Based Efforts amidst pandemic

Posted to Kalinaw News (Apr 22, 2021): AFP Chief commends troops for Community-Based Efforts amidst pandemic



CAMP AGUINALDO, Quezon City – The Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) General Cirilito Sobejana commended the efforts of military units conducting community-based efforts amidst the threat of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The AFP through its civil-military operators has been conducting various programs and campaigns since last year to help alleviate the plight of poor communities greatly affected by the pandemic,” General Sobejana said.

In the National Capital Region (NCR) alone, a total of 653,933 households or 2,581,852 individuals benefited from different efforts spearheaded by the 7th Civil Relations Group (7CRG) of the Civil Relations Service, AFP.

Since March 2020, the unit carried out programs under the Kapwa Ko Sagot Ko Campaign namely Community Owned Feeding Program, Tulong Uwi – Balik Probinsya, Pagkain sa Walang Bahay, Ayuda Mag Aaral at Paaralan, Katuwang Para sa Kapwa, and Sagip Kapwa.

Well-meaning individuals and groups have also tapped the AFP through the Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Civil Military Operations’ (OJ7) Civil Military Coordinating Center (CMCC), to provide and deliver goods and assistance to our kababayans.

Donations coursed through the CMCC last December 2020 reached a total of 251,443 boxes of assorted items. These were delivered to affected communities and frontline workers nationwide.

It also partnered with the Department of Agriculture in the implementation of the urban agricultural program dubbed as “Ahon Lahat, Pagkaing Sapat Kontra COVID-19 Program (ALPAS SA COVID-19)” to support food production in urban areas during the health crisis.

All the while, the 7CRG has been converting community dumpsites and abandoned useless areas to productive communal gardens to promote sustainability in every household. The Raise to 1 Million Gardens in NCR campaign has since produced 780,000 starter kits and 460,000 household gardens; organized 20 community gardens throughout NCR and recruited 76 volunteer individuals.

The AFP through OJ7 also provided transportation and manpower assistance to individuals exempted from quarantine and stranded health workers. Likewise, accommodations were provided to locally stranded individuals at the Philippine Army and Philippine Air Force transient facilities.

Significant too was the Information and Education Campaign conducted in partnership with the Youth for Peace and Development Movement-Philippines. The activity promotes the government’s Stay Home Campaign through social media engagements and other creative platforms.

“The AFP’s community-based efforts promote compassion, harmony and bayanihan which continue to inspire and help motivate our people even in the most dark and challenging times. Through these projects, our soldiers served as vessels of blessings and catalysts to empower our communities to be more resilient and prepared in times of crisis,” General Sobejana said

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