22,000 people to benefit from 'Balikatan 2012'-- AFP

MANILA, April 1 (PNA) - The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) said on Sunday that some 22,000 people from six Palawan communities will benefit from the civil- military operations (CMO) aspect of this year’s Philippines–United States "Balikatan" Exercises.
In line with this, Col. Arnulfo Burgos Jr., AFP spokesperson, said engineers from the AFP and U.S. Armed Forces are now constructing five schools in Puerto Princesa City.
According to Burgos, military doctors, dentists and veterinarians from both the AFP and USAF have also started the medical civic action program (MEDCAP), dental civic action program (DENCAP) and veterinary civic action program (VETCAP) at Barangays Cabayugan, Macarascas, Bacungan, Inagawan, Mangingisda and Kandis II, Puerto Princesa City.
In last year’s "Balikatan," three communities in Central Luzon benefitted as a result of numerous outreach programs of the AFP and USAF.
Two duplex school buildings and eight staff comfort rooms were constructed at Lubigan Elementary School and Pedro Quines Elementary School in Mayantoc, Tarlac.
A flood mitigation project was also constructed at Barangay Pedro Quines.
Another two duplex school buildings and eight staff comfort rooms were erected at Angel C. Manglicmot Elementary School and Taposo Elementary School in Candelaria, Zambales.
One duplex school building and four staff comfort rooms were also built at Pudakit Elementary School, San Antonio, Zambales.
Primarily, the purpose of the activities is to promote interoperability between the AFP and the U.S. Pacific Command (USPACOM), mature joint and combined CMO capabilities and advance regional security cooperation, but the underlying intent of the "Balikatan 2012" CMO is still to aid and assist people in far-flung communities where there are scarcities in their basic needs.
This core objective is in line with the program focus on humanitarian assistance and disaster response (HA/DR) training.
Burgos said this year's "Balikatan" Exercises is the 28th of its series that calls for a more responsive partnership with the community. It officially starts April 16 and will run until April 27.
The third HA/DR focus Bilateral Exercise (the first was in 2008 and the second in 2010) of the RP-US Balikatan Exercise 2012 is a combined joint military exercise based on the 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty.
The joint CMO activity is one of the three major events anchored with "Balikatan 2012;" the others are command post exercise (CPX) and field training exercise (FTX).
The exercise is conducted every year to serve as a venue for joint and combined training between the Philippine and U.S. militaries.
“The AFP and the USAF share the essential goal in the conduct of the Balikatan Exercise 2012, specifically its Civil-Military activity which is putting into top-most priority the welfare and best interests of the people. At the same time, it serves as a very important avenue for us, military forces to help our troops in enhancing their capabilities as well as our capacity as guardians of the national territory and sovereignty,” AFP chief-of-staff Lt. Gen. Jessie D. Dellosa said. (PNA)