LEGAZPI CITY --- Preparations are all in place for the holding of RP-US joint Balikatan exercise finally set on April this year, a ranking officer of the Philippine Army (PA) in Bicol said yesterday.
Unlike other Balikatan exercises held in the Philppines for the past 15 years, this years Balikatan will be purely a humanitarian mission involving medical service, and infrastructure development, Col. Ariel Bernardo PA 901st Brigade Commander said.
Bernardo said Balikatan survey team composed of US Navy and AFP personnel have finally drew up the RP-US joint military exercise to be held in the provinces of Albay, Sorsogon , and the island province of Masbate.
The survey team have pinpointed the six towns and Ligao City in the third District of Albay, the towns of Juban and Irosin in Sorsogon and M Uson and Mobo in Masbate.
These areas where considered by military intelligence report indicates that as insurgency hotbeds.
Bernardo at a press conference held on Thursday said “this is a welcome move, this campaign is a very important aspect in our Insurgency Special Operation (ISO) especially in waging a war for peace and development.”
He pointed out that the 16 Balikatan exercise will be absolutely humanitarian as he emphasize that “there will be no war games.”
The exercise is an annual bi-lateral military exercise between the AFP and the US aimed at improving the inter-operability of both forces for mutual defense in accordance with the RP-US Mutual Defense Treaty.
US Navy Captain Kelly Schmader commander of the Civilian Military Operations (CMO) said his contingent will be bringing along 400 Navy personnel composed of engineers, doctors and medicines.
Schmader said the uniqueness of this exercise is that it endeavors to help communities in Bicol that where hard hit by disaster in 2006 where thousands live where lost and 30,000 families were displaced due to the two super typhoons that struck the region.
He said the joint military exercise would focus on rendering medical, dental, veterinary and other assistance to poor families in the selected areas. Itr will also conduct repair and building of schools, water systems and farm to market roads.
He said the US government has earmarked some $450,000 for this activity.
The joint military contingents would maximize the use f local resources including labor and materials to spur local economic activities in the area.
During its implementation in April, medical and engineering units of both forces will stay in designated areas. There will be no activity of military nature except to ensure the security of those involved in the humanitarian mission.
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