US Air Force members arrive in Negros for joint training

ABOUT 40 members of the US Pacific Air Force under the US Pacific Command (USPACOM) headed by Lieutenant Colonel Alvin Alana arrived in Negros Oriental on Saturday in separate local flights from Metro Manila and through the Philippine Airforce's C130.

Major Ray Tiongson, spokesman of the 3rd ID, said the USPACOM will be here in the region from March 3-11 2013 to conduct a joint and combined Humanitarian Civic Assistance/Civil-Military Operations (HCA/CMO) between the Armed Forces of the Philippines, specifically the 302nd Bde, and PNP through the Negros Oriental Provincial Police.

He said the joint activity dubbed as the Pacific Angels 13-1 is an annual Humanitarian Assistance (HA) program sponsored by the USPACOM and implemented by the US Pacific Air Force (PACAF) in partnership with the AFP.

The objective of this exercise is to enhance the response capability of the AFP and stakeholders during disasters and calamities.

The seven days activity covers HCA/CMO programs such as medical, dental, optometry and school repair and other engineering programs and also lectures on various subject matter expert changes between the AFP-PNP and USPACOM forces that aim to enhance interoperability and preparedness among different forces during calamities and disasters.

The 302nd Infantry Brigade Commander, Col Francisco Patrimonio, said that the unit will support this humanitarian mission primarily in providing security to the contingents, facilitate the transportation of people affected by the previous earthquake to and from their location and assist in the construction and repair of selected school beneficiaries here in the region.

Aside from the USPACOM, AFP and PNP, Pacific Angels 13-1 will be participated by the Provincial Government of Negros Oriental and Non-Government Organizations led by the Oriental Negros Children's Advocacy Network (ONCAN) MGen Jose Z Mabanta Jr, Commander of 3ID, stressed that Negros has suffered from previous calamities and disasters.

"Our ability to mitigate, prepare, respond and recover from the effects brought about by these calamities is necessary to be enhanced. This is an opportunity for all stakeholders to learn and enhance our interoperability during disasters and calamities," he said.

"Bayanihan" - United States Airforce of the US Pacific Command, members of the 302nd Infantry Brigade and Negros PNP unloaded medical, dental and engineering equipment at Dumaguete City Airport.

These equipment will be used for the Pacific Angels from March 3-10, 2013.

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Teresa Ellera | Sun Star Bacolod | March 4, 2013 | Article Link

Army to Negrenses: Condemn armed struggle

COLONEL Oscar Lactao, commanding officer of 303rd Infantry Brigade of the Philippine Army, urged Negrenses to condemn the armed struggle being waged by the New People's Army (NPA).

Lactao made the call after the death of an army officer in an ambush allegedly staged by suspected NPA members in Cauayan.

The attack on our soldiers performing peace and development work is an attack against the poor people in hinterland communities whose lives the NPA does not want to improve, Lactao said in a press statement.

The NPA's armed struggle continues to claim lives of our own countrymen. Nobody wins in an armed struggle. Soldiers and NPA alike die. Now, another mother is weeping for the loss of a son, he added.

Around 11:45 a.m. last March 6, troops of 47th Infantry Battalion who were riding on a military vehicle while on their way to conduct Peace and
Development Works (PDW) in Barangay Basak, Cauayan, were fired upon by about nine NPAs at sitio Manluy-a, Barangay Tuyom.

2nd Lieutenant Jose Angelo Esguerra was unfortunately hit. He was brought to Kabankalan Doctors Hospital but was declared dead on arrival by the attending physician.

Army troops conducted pursuit operations on the NPAs that fled immediately after perpetrating the atrocity.

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SunStar.Com.Ph | Thursday, March 8, 2012 | Article Link

Soldiers dig for bodies from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.

HIS day starts from where he finished.

For almost two weeks now, 2nd Lt. Ronel Gebura of Army’s 32nd Division Reconnaissance Company has been digging in Barangay Solonggon, La Libertad, Negros Oriental to look for earthquake survivors.

Despite the stench of bodies and danger of another landslide, Gebura and the 50-manned troop will not stop searching until told to do so.

“I can feel the sentiment’s of the victims’ families. It has become my motivation,” he said.

As of yesterday, only four people were found while 38 others were feared buried alive in the area. The neighborhood was layered with soil and boulders after a part of the hill collapsed due to an earthquake with a 6.9 intensity hit last Feb. 6.

Intermittent rain, aftershocks and heavy equipment that conk out every so often plague their operation in retrieving buried people, alive or dead.

Some of his troop mates were also injured after tripping over galvanized iron sheets in a pile of debris.

The soldiers start their day at 6 a.m. digging using picks and shovels and end it at 6 p.m., and taking only lunch breaks.

They also help in facilitating the turnover of relief goods to evacuees.

Sun.Star Cebu found Gebura relaxing on a hammock strapped to a shack that serves as the troop’s sleeping quarters.

He had just finished his lunch of fish stew and kamote leaves.

It was his decision to be part of the Army just like his father.

“There’s nothing more fulfilling than in helping people and serving your country,” he said.

Gebura, a native of Iloilo, said he sympathized with the victims, having gone through a similar experience.

A fierce storm washed away their house and he had his then-pregnant wife with him, he said.

Because of the high risks involved in his job, Gebura said, his wife regularly reminds him to stay out of harm’s way.

They have two children, aged six and three.

He would have wanted to bring a picture of his family but anticipated that it could get wet in the rain.

After the interview, Gebura went back to his work, reminding himself of the cries of the victims’ kin and his family.

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By Davinci S. Maru

Friday, February 17, 2012

SunStar.Com.Ph

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