By
Gideon C. Corgue
TUKURAN, Zamboanga del Sur – Residents of barangay Manlayag here expressed their gratitude to the
Philippine Army (PA) for successfully conducting a Medical and Dental Civic Action
Program (MEDCAP), benefiting 304 poor people in this far-flung community.
The 1st Cavalry
Squadron (Tagapanguna) Battalion of Mechanized Infantry Division and 1st
Field Artillery Battalion of Army Artillery Regiment conducted the MEDCAP at
Manlayag Elementary School here last March 7 as part of the Armed Forces of the
Philippines’ (AFP) Internal Peace and Security Plan (IPSP) Bayanihan.
Esmeralda Padro, 52, a mother of
13 children said all of her 9 male children have availed of free circumcision
during the MEDCAP.
She arrived very early with her
three children at Manlayag Elementary School to avail of the said free services.
“Nalipay ko ug dako nga ang medical and dental mission
gihimo dinhi sa among barangay aron kami makapahimulos sa libre nga serbisyo sa
kagamhanan. Layo kaayo ang among health center sa among dapit mao nga igo na
lang kami magpaabot nga ang mga programa sa gobyerno moduol sa amoa,” Padro happily said.
(I am very thankful that the
medical and dental mission was conducted in our barangay for us to avail of
free health services from the government. Our health center is very far from
our place. That is why we will just wait for the government programs to come to
us.)
Alvin, 9, and Marjun, 7, have
availed themselves of free circumcision. While their elder sister, Cherry, 12,
availed herself of free tooth extraction and free medical checkup and medicines
for their paprents.
“Pinaagi sa ilang gihatag nga libre nga serbisyo sa
amoa dili na mobati ug kaulaw ang akong mga anak sulod sa ilang
lawak-klasehanan,” Padro said whose three young
children are attending classes at Manlayag Elementary School.
(With the free services the
government provided us, our children are now inspired to attend their classes.)
Ricardo Laylay was also grateful
for the activity saying that his two male children Kelvin, 9, and Carlo, 5,
have also availed of the free circumcision.
“Dili na ko mogasto ug panahon ug kwarta nga moadto sa
health center sa lungsod aron akong ipatuli ang akong mga anak tungod kay ang
gobyerno miduol sa mga tawo sa among barangay,” Laylay said.
(I need not to spend time and
efforts to go to our health center just to have my sons circumcised because the
government is now bringing its services closer to the people right in our
barangay.)
“Kini nga kalihokan dako kaayo kini ug ikatabang ilabi
na kanamo nga mga kabus nga mulupyo
kinsa dili maka-afford mo-adto sa doctor, Laylay added.
(This activity is a big help especially
for the poor who can’t afford to go to a doctor.)
Meanwhile, Lt. Col. Charlemagne
Batayola Jr., commanding officer of the
1st
Cavalry Squadron battalion said the activity was just a follow-up of the
gift-giving activity conducted by the units last Feb. 13 dubbed “Love Drive
Program” wherein poor residents of Barangay Manlayag had received food
packs, used clothing and slippers from the units, and the Brigada Eskwela last
March 1 where the troopers helped the teachers, parents and students in doing
minor repairs and cleanup on the school in preparation for the start of the next
school year.