Balikatan in Eastern Samar; US, Filipino troops conduct disaster-response activities

GUIUAN, EASTERN SAMAR, Philippines — The Balikatan Exercises of the United States Army and the Armed Forces of the Philippines are no longer about war games but on providing disaster-response trainings to the community at Barangay Surok in Guiuan town of Eastern Samar.

Lieutenant Senior Grade Junley Morata of the Philipine Navy, said the Balikatan started on April 10, the same day the US troops, led by Captain Gabriel Christianson, arrived in Guiuan to engage in the needs of the community.

Morata said among the projects provided of the US troops were the construction of two classrooms in Surok Elementary School, and the rehabilitation of the school's stage that was badly damaged by supertyphoon Yolanda in 2013.

The classrooms will serve multi-purpose functions such that these can be converted into evacuation sites, and other school-related activities.

Christianson said the Balikatan now is their 33rd year of working together with the Philippine Army that is particularly focused on humanitarian assistance.

"We're really talking about the really basic things that involves disaster-preparedness, because the area was heavily affected by typhoon in 2013 ... the locals will be able to get first aid (and) first responder trainings, " Christianson said.

Guiuan town, which has 60 inland barangays and 18 other island-barangays, has been the usual target point of incoming typhoons.

Christianson told The Freeman his personnel—consisting of US Marines and the US Army—have been working on the engineering site of the school, with the official turnover ceremony scheduled on May 16.

Christianson said they will also provide school materials and sports equipment to the students of Surok Elementary School. There were two Japanese soldiers and an Australian trooper that helped the US and Philippine troops for the humanitarian works.

A symposium of disaster preparedness, called "Humanitarian Civic Assistance,” was among the activities conducted in the barangay.

In a related development, Philip Aranas, executive secretary of Guiuan Mayor Christopher Sheen Gonzales, said the residents of Barangay Surok were happy that government troops helped them in disaster-response and disaster-management.

"Importante man kaayo na sa amo diri sa Guiuan karon ... kinahanglan prepared gihapon ta kung unsay mahitabo na mga disaster. Nalipay kaayo sila, siyempre kay sa Surok Elementary School, gitagaan silag maayong (disaster-) resilient classrooms," Aranas said. (FREEMAN)