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Friday, October 27, 2006
US sailors do humanitarian work in Zamboanga
By Al Jacinto
ZAMBOANGA CITY -- Over 20 sailors from the US transport ship USS Harpers Ferry on Thursday trooped to a small village in the outskirts of Zamboanga City in the southern Philippines to donate books and food and help locals paint a school.
"We are really so happy to see the sailors here. They gave us books and food, and were helping us paint the rooms. We want to thank President George Bush, the US military, the US Embassy and the American people for the humanitarian assistance and we will never forget this day," Imelda Mabalot, principal of Pasobolong Elementary School, said.
The sailors arrived on a convoy of vehicles at around 9 a.m. and brought with them boxes of paints, bottled water, sandwiches, biscuits, and books. Two sailors were also spotted carrying sewing machines and canned apple juice to distribute to the school in the village of Pasobolong, about 20 kilometers east of Zamboanga.
"We are here to help the Filipino people and the US forces are involved in many humanitarian missions in the southern Philippines to help the people and promote peace side by side with the Armed Forces of the Philippines," said US Air Force Major John Redfield, public affairs officer.
US soldiers provided security to the sailors while they paint schoolrooms and mingled with villagers.
The USS Harpers Ferry arrived is anchored off Zamboanga City. It arrived Wednesday to deliver five ambulances donated by an Italian philanthropist, Armando de Rossi, of the 3P Foundation.
The ambulances, worth $20,000 each, came from the United States and were shipped to Subic Bay, a former US base outside Manila. These will be donated to the Zamboanga City Fire Department; the Jolo Rescue Network; the Camp Asturias Hospital; Red Cross on Jolo island; and a clinic on Tawi-Tawi.
De Rossi said about a dozen more ambulances would be delivered to the southern Philippines and distributed to areas where the vehicles are needed.
"These ambulances are donation by people all over the world who cared about Mindanao and its people. We are concerned about the people, about the peace and development efforts in the Philippines and we will continue to help the Filipino people," he said.
The 3P (Promotion of Peace and Prosperity in the Philippines) Foundation purchased 14 Ford F350 ambulances to donate to places throughout the Philippines in an effort to bring better medical supplies and capabilities to local provinces.
De Rossi said that once the ambulances are delivered to their final destinations, they would save plenty of lives. "We're just here to promote the goodwill of America to the Filipino people, and to show the Filipinos that the United States cares," he said.
De Rossi is actively involved in humanitarian activities in Jolo and had donated tens of millions of dollars in infrastructure and medical equipment on the island. (Sunnex)
(October 27, 2006 issue)
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