LEGAZPI CITY -- The first batch of the American advance quarter parties that include support personnel of the US military professionals in the 2009 RP-US joint exercises has arrived at the Legazpi City Airport aboard Cebu Pacific and Philippine Airlines, Tuesday.
“There are now advance US quarter parties who came in this third week of March. Tuesday (March 25) was the last quarter party to prepare for the US military accommodation,” said Col. Ariel Bernardo, commander of the Philippine Army’s 901st Infantry Brigade.
As of press time, Bernardo added that they could not yet give any number of the soldiers who came in Bicol this week, “unless, they are all here already – the whole of them (US servicemen).”
However, he confirmed that there will be a total of 350 American doctors, dentists, engineers and other support personnel who belong to the US military soldiers are expected to arrive on the first week of April in the three provinces of Bicol: Albay, Masbate and Sorsogon.
According to Brigade Executive Officer Neneveigh Alcovindas, the US advance party who arrived yesterday was temporarily accommodated in the Pepperland, Alicia and Venesia hotels in Legazpi City.
Alcovindas said that these advance troop s belong to the support personnel who will survey and visit the designated sites for the Medical, Dental Civic Actions Programs (MEDCAP) and Engineering Civic Actions Programs (ENCAP). “Some of them will provide foods and prepare the accommodation of the American military doctors and engineers.”
The entry port of the US vessels will be at the Tabaco City port that will bring US military soldiers, construction materials and other equipment to be utilized in the ENCAP and MEDCAP.
MEDCAP and ENCAP
“The RP-US Balikatan military exercises shall only comprise humanitarian projects through medical and dental missions and engineering works,” Bernardo explained.
There will be 13 MEDCAP sites in Bicol including six (6) area sites in Albay, two (2) in Sorsogon and five (5) in Masbate.
“We will also be servicing about five to six nearby barangays from the proposed MEDCAP 13 sites,” he added.
On the other hand, to spur economic development, the humanitarian mission of the RP and US soldiers shall include the ENCAP involving the construction of roads, school buildings and water system repairs.
He said that at least five engineering works are expected to be completed this April in about six ENCAP sites in the three provinces.
Among these physical infrastructures are the 3-km road in Makalidong, Pioduran Albay; road repairs and school building in Juban, Sorsogon; school rooms in Dapdap, Masbate; and a water system projects in Dapdap, Masbate.
‘Being Fooled’
Amid massive preparations of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and military soldiers for the upcoming Balikatan exercises here, the Anti-Balikatan militant groups have also beefed up their protest for the halt of the exercises.
A loaded jeepney of banners and protest materials expressing condemnation of the coming US troops traversed the Daraga-Legazpi road, Wednesday.
Led by the KMP group, the protest dubbed “Call of the Peasants” (Bandilyo kan mga Paraoma) was just a continuation of their outraged demonstrations since January.
On Tuesday, some militant groups marched to the Legazpi City Airport and protested against the arrival of the US servicemen that day.
“We welcomed the US soldiers with a small protest here. But when the Philippine military saw us bearing slogans slamming the Balikatan exercise, the American soldiers were led to backdoors, so they could not see us,” Felix Paz, spokesperson of the KMP Bicol recounted in Tagalog.
He said that they have monitored 29 American soldiers aboard the plane Tuesday.
Paz added: “They were in their civilian clothes just like tourist. Why not directly told us they were the American troops? Why did they hide them from us?”
“Dini- deny pa nila. Para ba kaming niloloko, nagkukunwari at tinatago pa sa amin ng mga military,” he added.
Succeeding protests and rallies of the Anti-Balikatan groups are expected to follow this week. Johana Vi Gasga/Inquirer Southern Luzon
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