By
Gideon C. Corgue
TUKURAN, Zamboanga del Sur – At least 304 villagers have received on Saturday free medical and
dental services extended by the medical and dental teams of the 1st
Infantry Tabak Division, Philippine Army at Manlayag Elementary School here.
The medical and dental mission was
a joint undertaking of the 1st Cavalry Squadron, Mechanized Infantry
Division and 1st Field Artillery Battalion (1FAB), Army Artillery
Regiment with the support of the Tabak Dental Office and Pagadian City Health
Office, conducting medical checkup, consultation, circumcision and tooth
extraction with free medicines.
Lt. Col. Charlemagne Batayola Jr.,
commanding officer of 1st Cavalry Squadron in his message said the
activity was to show care and genuine concern for stakeholders as part of the
enhanced Internal Peace and Security Plan (IPSP) Bayanihan activities of Armed
Forces of the Philippines (AFP) which seeks to intensify engagement of
stakeholders.
Batayola said the AFP Bayanihan
teams were directed by the higher headquarters to perform over and above their
usual tasks in bringing peace in far-flung communities through peace projects
and infrastructure development in coordination with the local government units
and agencies, civil-society organizations and non-government organizations.
“Ang AFP ay magpapatupad
pa ng maraming programa upang mapabuti ang kalagayan ng ating mamamayan at
katulong ang lahat ng local government units at non-government organizations upang
makamit ang minimithing kapayapaan at kaunlaran ng ating bayan,” Batayola said.
(The AFP will implement many
programs to improve the living condition of our people and with the help of all
local government units and non-government organizations to achieve the desired peace
and progress of our nation).
1FAB commander Lt. Col. Sonny
Sales in his message delivered by Capt. Win Love Bag-ao, civil-military
operations officer said the activity was initiated by the AFP to help the
destitute families who could not afford to pay for the dental and medical services.
“Sa ginagawa naming medical and dental mission, maipadama
naming mga sundalo ang totoong
pagmamahal at serbisyo sa kapwa-tao lalong-lalo na sa mga mahihirap. Sa araw na
ito, tayong lahat ay nagtipon-tipon at nagkakaisa upang makamit natin ang
minimithing kasaganaan, kaunlaran, at kapayapaan,”Bag-ao said quoting Sales.
(In our medical and dental
mission, we the soldiers can share our sincere love and service to our
fellowmen especially to the poor. Today, we all gathered here and are united for
us to achieve prosperity and peace.)
Meanwhile, Punong Barangay Cerelo
Halang thanked the AFP for doing the activity in his barangay.
"Kami nagpasalamat sa AFP paghimo ning
maong kalihokan dinhi sa among barangay pinaagi pagtanyag sa libre nga mga
serbsiyo. Sa pagkatinuod lang, dako kaayo ni ug katabang sa among mga katawhan
nga dili gyud makagasto pagpapatuli sa ilang mga anak nga lalaki, pagpaibot sa
ngipon, ug uban pa,” proudly said.
(We extend our gratitude
to AFP for conducting this activity here in our barangay. Indeed, this is a
great help to our residents who could not afford to pay for the circumcision of
their male children, tooth extraction, and others.)
