AROUND 8,000 residents who were affected by the recent earthquake in Negros Oriental benefitted from the humanitarian outreach mission conducted by the Church-Military Advisory Group–Negros (CMAG–N) Friday last week.
The outreach mission was held in Barangay Pacuan, La Libertad, Negros Oriental, according to Captain Leo Christopher Cunanan, Civil Military Operations officer of the 303rd Brigade.
About 4,600 families from 15 interior barangays in the municipality of La Libertad received food packs and used clothing consisting of eight truckloads that were delivered in Barangay Pacuan.
The relief goods were turned over to the Saint Vincent Quasi Parish under Rev. Fr. Winli Guadalupe, who facilitated the distribution with the assistance of the parish youth organization.
The bulk of relief goods came from ABS-CBN Bacolod’s “Bantay Bata 163” through the initiative of Caryl Diamante and their partnership with several organizations in Bacolod City. Other relief items were donated by kind-hearted individuals, various groups, and local government officials from all over island of Negros.
Aside from the relief assistance, various free medical services, to include dental and other kinds of services and medicines, were availed of by the thousands of people that flocked in Barangay Pacuan.
The medical services were provided by 19 volunteer doctors and 31 nurses from Bacolod and Dumaguete, while the other health services were provided by the Dental Officer and civic action teams of 302nd and 303rd Brigades, the Rural Health Unit of La Libertad and other volunteers.
About 1,000 children brought by their parents were entertained by the parlor games facilitated by policemen from the Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office and soldiers of the 3rd CMO Battalion. Toys were also distributed to these children, while 20 children ages 6–10 years old were given earthquake debriefing in order to ease their trauma.
Rural folks that went to the venue of the humanitarian mission also enjoyed the mongo soup feeding availed of by about 1,200 individuals.
The activity culminated at about 4 p.m. with another feeding of 3,000 big breads and noodles courtesy of the ABS-CBN news team.
The humanitarian mission is a pre-anniversary activity of the CMAG–N, which is celebrating its 4th year anniversary on March 8, 2012.
The theme for this year’s anniversary of CMAG–N is “Peace and Development for God’s People – Our Mission. For we are partners working together for God….. (1 Corinthians 3:9).”
The CMAG–N was created through a memorandum of understanding entered into between the Dioceses of Bacolod, Kabankalan, San Carlos and Dumaguete and the 303rd Infantry Brigade, Philippine Army on the 4th day of March, 2008 at Bacolod City.
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By Teresa Ellera | Monday, March 5, 2012 | SunStar.Com.Ph | Article Link
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