EASTMINCOM sends Battalion for Leyte, calls for Bayanihan

    

NSFA, Panacan, Davao City – The AFP’s Eastern Mindanao Command has sent a battalion to Leyte to support the national government’s effort to fast track the relief, reconstruction and rehabilitation in the devastated areas in Leyte brought by the typhoon Yolanda named Joint Task Force Tambayayong (JTFT II) Saturday morning. It can be recalled that a year ago, when the typhoon Pablo hit Davao region, the same carpenter-soldiers from JTFT repaired more than 700 houses, facilities, schools, chapels in the communities in the rehabilitation phase. They are armed with hammers, craw bars, saws and other light construction equipments.

 The Task Force is organized for reconstruction works and search & rescue; and relief operations from the Army’s 4^th & 10^th Infantry Divisions; Naval Forces Eastern Mindanao; and from Army Engineer units. Medical volunteers from the KIWANIS International Division 7 and 8 also joined the troops as component of the said humanitarian mission. The convoy has with them family food packs for distribution to the people in Leyte that came from donors in Davao. Some donors gave nails and large tarpaulins for temporary shelters.

 EASTMINCOM Commander Lt. Gen. Ricardo Rainier G. Cruz III said that sending the JTFT II to Leyte will help the people in the affected communities construct shelters or repair partially damaged houses and facilities, clear roads to speed up entry of vehicles transporting relief goods and even recover missing persons.  “Sa bawat pako at yero o anumang klaseng construction materials na madadala ng sundalo, maraming pamilya ang matutulungan. Ito ang tunay na kahulugan ng TAMBAYAYONG mula sa taga Mindanao. We are calling all stakeholders to join us in this Bayanihan”.  Lt. Gen. Cruz said