Filipinos in US Navy join mercy mission as goodwill ambassadors

Filipino-Americans aboard the United States Naval Ship Mercy (T-AH 19) are serving as ambassadors of goodwill between their native land and their adopted country.

Commander Henry Villareal, executive officer for the military equipment facility of the hospital side, joined the US Navy in 1975 and is now a ranking naval officer.

Villareal said he had doubts that he would get promoted when he enlisted in the US Navy 31 years ago. "Siempre proud ako (Of course I am proud). I enlisted in the Navy and then I got commissioned. Who would have thought then, in 1975, that I would be doing what I’m doing now?"

He said the USNS Mercy’s missions show that "you can use medical assistance as a diplomatic tool."

Though he serves the US government as part of its naval forces, Villareal added that "the Philippines will always be my home."

HM1 (Hospital Corpsman 1) Ria Villena also comes home on a personal quest — to be reunited with a mother she has neither seen nor heard from in 14 years.

Villena, 23, hopes to find her mother after years of having no contact at all with her.

Villena said she is looking forward to being part of the USNS Mercy’s medical and dental mission in the provinces of Zamboanga, Tawi-Tawi and Sulu despite reports of war-related conflict in these areas.

After the mission in Mindanao, Villena wants to search for her mother, whose last known location was Quezon City, before the Mercy leaves for its next mission in Indonesia.

Villena replied with silence to queries by reporters about her reasons for seeking out her mother, whom she had last seen in 1997 before she flew to the US to join her father, who is based in Los Angeles, California. Villena’s parents are separated.

"Hindi pa ako umuwi (I haven’t come home) since 1997 when I left for the US. My mom is here and I will look for her. She does not know I’m here," Villena said.

Working at the ward for stable patients who have undergone surgery on the hospital ship, she said she finds fulfillment in taking part in humanitarian missions.

Despite of the oft-reported violence in Mindanao, she believes that providing much-needed health care services to poor people in far-flung and conflict-wracked areas should not be prevented by any group.

"Sana maintindihan nila na ang punta namin dito is to help our kababayan (I hope they will understand that our visit here is to help our countrymen)," she said.

Villena remembered that former President Joseph Estrada was the vice president when she left in 1997. In 2002, she joined the US Navy.

"Masaya ako nakauwi ako sa Pilipinas (I am happy I have come home to the Philippines). It has been nine years. I heard about Roxas Boulevard na maganda na daw (that it is beautiful now). Namiss ko din ang mga tanawin dito, gaya ng Tagaytay (I also miss the scenic spots here, such as Tagaytay)," she said.

The presence of Filipino-Americans on the USNS Mercy also shows the ladder to success that they climbed through their rank promotions.

The other Fil-Am members of the US Navy on this mission of mercy are: HM1 Daisan Dumlao, a native of Olongapo City; laboratory chief HMC Ernie Alviar, 39, from Laguna; Officer First Class Rod Erece, from Olongapo; TO1 Eduardo Cortez, who is in charge of the hospital ship’s drugs and pharmaceuticals; HM1 Glenn Custodio, from the Bio-Medical Research Technical Services, whose father is from Cavite; and Senior Chief Daniel Bassig, a native of Pasig City.

Most of the Fil-Ams reside in San Diego, California and they comprise about 50 percent of the hospital ship’s crew.

Meanwhile, US Navy Amphibious Squadron Seven commander Capt. Bradley Martin said that while the USNS Mercy is a military vessel capable of providing treatment and surgery for combatants, combat surgery is not the mission they will undertake in Mindanao: "We have that capability but that is not what we are here to do."

He added that the US Navy is aware of the violence in Mindanao "but we are ensuring the people who are operating anywhere are fully protected."

US Navy officials emphasized that the ship’s mission is not a counter-terrorism program, rather, it is a mission of mercy, goodwill and peace.

"We are here solely for the purpose of delivering humanitarian assistance to the people who need medical attention and assistance," said Ship’s Master Captain Robert Wiley.

Capt. Joseph Moore, of the US Navy Medical Corps, said the US military has carried out humanitarian assistance as requested by their host nations: "This is a large mission but we have been doing this for quite a while."

The USNS Mercy arrived at the Port of Manila on Saturday for a month-long mission of humanitarian and civic assistance in the country, beginning with Mindanao.

It will visit select locations in Mindanao, including Sulu, which are the areas identified by government as in need of the hospital ship’s aid.

The deployment of the USNS Mercy is an effort carried out in conjunction with non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and in close coordination and partnership with local medical care professionals.

Volunteers from the US Public Health Service, Aloha Medical Mission, Project Hope and the University of California and the San Diego Pre-Dental Society are boarding the USNS Mercy in Manila, as are a contingent of medical specialists from the US and Canadian military forces.

Medical personnel from the Armed Forces Philippines (AFP) Surgeon General’s Office will also embark the ship for the Philippine portion of the deployment, providing focused medical care in partnership with their American counterparts.

A number of US and Philippine government, military and civilian agencies were involved in planning the myriad details that go into this month-long mission of medical, dental and civic-action programs to provide focused humanitarian assistance to the people of the Philippines.

For this deployment, the USNS Mercy has been configured with special medical equipment and a robust multi-specialized medical team of uniformed and civilian health care providers to provide a range of services onshore as well as on board the ship.

The ship, which calls San Diego harbor its home port, can support various services such as casualty reception, optometry screenings, eyewear distribution, physical therapy, burn care, radiological and laboratory services, dermatology, urology, obstetrics and gynecology, general surgery, ophthalmologic surgery, plastic surgery.

It is also equipped to provide basic medical evaluation and treatment, preventative medicine treatment, dental screenings and treatment, immunizations, public health training and assessment and vector control to curb infections and prevent epidemics. It even provides veterinary services.

The embassy said a small team of sailors from the Naval Construction Force, or Seabees, will also perform repair and minor construction projects ashore. Some of these construction projects can directly improve medical and sanitary situations.

The USNS Mercy is capable of meeting and resolving a wide range of medical and humanitarian assistance needs and can rapidly respond to these situations on short notice.

It was also deployed in response to the December 2004 tsunami that struck Southeast Asia. This deployment of the hospital ship resulted in the treatment of over 107,000 patients by providing 466 surgical procedures, the distribution of 11,555 pairs of eyeglasses and over 6,900 dental procedures in hard hit areas of Indonesia, East Timor and Papua New Guinea.