PAGADIAN CITY, October 23 (PIA) -- All clad in their battle dress attire, officers and men of the 104th Brigade attended the residents of Pigcalawag, Sultan Naga Dimaporo, Lanao del Norte in the conduct of Medical and Dental Civic Action Program (MEDCAP) at said barangay on Saturday .
Brigade commander Colonel Ricardo Visaya said 489 residents of the said barangay have availed MEDCAP services coinciding the 11th Founding Anniversary of the brigade which carries the theme “ 104th Brigade : Kaagapay ng Sambayanan at Kaunlaran”.
Visaya said the 3-day event which officially kicked off on Saturday with the launching of 8-kilometer fun run and MEDCAP will culminate on October 25.
250 were given reading glasses, 102 have availed tooth extraction, haircut – 60, legal counseling service -47, shoe repair-30, all services were offered free. Four (4) boxes of medicines and used clothings were distributed to some, Visaya reported.
Visaya said upon the brigade’s transfer from Kalandagan, Tacurong City on June 21 to Pigcalawag, SND, he planned to launch various programs which helps promote Internal Peace and Security Plan (IPSP) by bringing AFP closer to the people.
“This is the first time that the people have seen soldiers doing MEDCAP here,” Visaya said. “Before, the civilians were afraid to see soldiers but now they come to us and actively participated in all our programs because in the past 4 months, they have seen us not only providing them security and protection but also providing them social and health services,” he added.
Barangay Kagawad Sittie Tambugao, a recipient of an eyeglass said she admired 104th Brigade for conducting the event.
“Nindot kaayo ni nga kalihokan nga gihimo sa mga sundalo tugod kay kami ang natanyagan sa mga libre nga mga serbisyo. Sukad masukad wala gayud mga kalihokan susama niini nga gihimo dinhi sa among barangay sila lamang. Nalipay ko kaayo tungod kay nahatagan ko ug libre nga antipara . Makabasa na gyud ko ug mga libro ug text message sa akong bana ug mga higala (These activities launched by the soldiers were very impressive. Ever since, this kind of activities were never conducted in our barangay, it’s only them who did it. I‘m happy that I was given free eyeglasses. I can now read books and text messages from my husband and friends),” Tambugao happily said.
Another resident, Analiza Mellijor said she was also glad that she was one of those many who availed legal services saying that her misspelled name in her birth certificate will soon be corrected corrected.
“ Sa akong birth certificate usa lamang ka letra nga ‘n’ sa akong ngalan nga Anna Liza, lahi ra sa nakatatak sa akong NSO document nga doble ang ‘n’. Tungod niini nakapangayo ko ug ug libre nga joint affidavit dinhi sa maong kalihoklaan (In my birth certificate, there is only one letter ‘n’ in my name Anna Liza but in my NSO document it has two ‘n”. Because of this, I was able to secure free joint affidavit in this activity),” Mellijor eludidated.
In a related development, Visaya said a “Bike for Peace’ will be held on Sunday at 6:00 am to be participated by some 300 bikers, who are all peace advocates and are from the AFP, PNP, LGU, academe and civilians.
The bikers will have their starting point from SND and will cross Lala, Kapatagan, Tubod and Kolambugan, all of Lanao del Norte, Visaya concluded.
