Thursday, March 7, 2013

US-AFP mission to benefit 6,000

From the Visayan Daily Star (Mar 7): US-AFP mission to benefit 6,000

Around 6,000 disaster victims in Negros Oriental will benefit from “Operation Pacific Angel”, the joint humanitarian mission of the US Pacific Air Force and Armed Forces of the Philippines.

OPA mission commander, Lt. Col. Alvin Alana, said the humanitarian outreach will provide medical health services to 500 patients a day for six days, or from March 4 to 9, at the Macias Sports Complex in Dumaguete City, and Osmeña Park in Tanjay City.

It will also provide dental, optometry, and engineering programs, and expert exchanges with counterpart Filipino soldiers, he added.

Col. Francisco Patrimonio, 302nd Brigade commander and exercise director, said priority beneficiaries are victims of typhoon Sendong and the 6.9-magnitude earthquake on December 2011 and February 2012, respectively.

He added that the mission aims to enhance the capability of the AFP in responding to disasters or natural calamities.

Alana said his group provides preventive health care, free eyeglasses and medicines, and does referrals for local surgery.

Now on its sixth year, OPA is expected to rehabilitate three school buildings in the province, Patrimonio said.

He added that personnel from the US military and AFP have started the repair, renovation and upgrading of facilities in the Bio-os Elementary School in Amlan town; Pamplona Central ES in Pamplona; and Tugawe ES in Daiun, where a water tower will be installed and the classrooms repainted.

“This is the first time that a foreign military humanitarian mission is held in Negros Oriental, Patrimonio said.

http://www.visayandailystar.com/2013/March/07/negor1.htm

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