By Claro A. Lanipa
TINOTUNGAN, Tukuran, Zamboanga del Sur – To help bridge the gap and act as catalyst between the government and the barangay folks through the delivery of government programs and services, the 1st Field Artillery Battalion (FAB), Army Artillery Regiment, Philippine Army has embarked on “adopt-a barangay” program.
In keeping with this program, a medical and dental outreach program was held on Tuesday at Barangay Tinotungan by the officers and men of the 1st FAB led by Lt. Col. Sonny M. Sales in collaboration with the Zamboanga del Sur provincial government and this town.
Civil Military Officer Capt. Zal L. Bagondol said “apart from the medical and dental services we also conducted first aid training to the members of the Barangay Emergency Response Team (BERT), a tree planting activity in support of the National Greening Program (NGP), supplemental feeding for the malnourished children, free circumcision, and others.
The battalion has identified five barangays for the implementation of the said program, namely, Tinotungan, Man-ilan, and Sto. Rosario of Tukuran town and San Isidro and Tawagan Norte of Labangan town all of Zamboanga del Sur.
Last Aug. 5, the same activity was conducted in the barangay where 68 residents availed themselves of the medical consultation and were given free medicines, 24 children were circumcised, eight children were immunized, six pregnant women were given pre-natal services, and four others underwent sputum test.
A tree planting is going to be held tomorrow, Aug. 28, in the same barangay to be participated in by the officials and employees of Tukuran, Barangay officials and residents, and schools.
Barangay Chairwoman Victoria G. Pintac expressed her deepest gratitude to the officers and men of the 1st FAB for choosing her barangay as one of the beneficiaries of the program.
The same services will also be undertaken in the other four identified barangays.