DAVAO Oriental – the 701st Infantry “Kagitingan” Brigade led by Colonel Bienvenido R. Datuin Jr. spearheads a Medical Mission and Family Day at Sitio Sangab, Barangay Pichon, Municipality of Caraga on October 22, 2016 in partnership with different government and non-government agencies.
Giving tribute to the rich culture and tradition of Filipino’s Indigenous People, the Medical Mission and Family Day is an inter-agency event that aims to deliver interventions from the government and non-government organizations including private sectors to the Mandaya Community of Sitio Sangab.
Sangab is one of the Ancestral Domain recognized by the National Commission on Indigenous People where rich Mandaya Community resides. The area is the first recipient of the Certificate of Ancestral Domain Title in the region.
On the opening ceremony, Col Datuin dubbed the community as a model one and has high impact to the other IP communities nationwide due to its excellent governance structure, peace and order situation and cultural preservation scheme. He remembered the place as one of the areas that were highly influenced by armed groups past years ago.
Col Datuin also said that due to the people’s unity in Sitio Sangab with the multi-sector peace and order operations of the government, the area was cleared with armed threats and freed from their influence. He added that the government interventions that reached the area strengthened the efforts of the people in attaining peace and order.
Moreover, almost 3,000 individuals benefited from different items distributed and services like medical check-up including eye check-up and dental services, free haircut, feeding program, school supplies, personal hygiene kits, family kits, medicines, food packs, family day lectures on illegal drugs, human trafficking, violence against women and children.
The Provincial Government of Davao Oriental through Davao Oriental Provincial Medical Center, Department of Health, Local Government Unit of Caraga, NCIP, 10th Infantry Division and 701st Infantry Brigade provided medicines, doctors and dentists for the medical mission. The D’Eyecare Optical Center by Dr. Maridella Diogenes and Mr. Diogenes Sael Jr. provided free eyeglasses and free eye check-up to Sangab constituents.
Feeding programs were facilitated by the Youth for Peace Movement Davao Oriental, Davao Oriental Provincial Police Office, TheraCare Center and Global Impact Philippines Foundation with Parlor Games, Hygiene Kits, School Supplies, Story Books, Dishwashing Soaps and Haircut for men and women.
Anti-illegal Drugs discussions were facilitated by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency during the Family Day Lecture with Anti-human Trafficking sessions by the Global Impact and VAWC lectures of DOPPO.
Gracing the opening ceremony as the Guest of Honor and Speaker, Governor Nelson L. Dayanghirang lauded the initiative of the 701st Infantry KAGITINGAN Brigade in initiating the Medical Mission and Family Day in line with the Celebration of National Indigenous Peoples Month this October.
He further says that a peaceful community is a development-ready place where government services can be conveniently delivered. He encourages the people to help the Philippine Army in protecting their Ancestral Domain from the influences of armed groups.
“Do not let external forces settle your disagreements inside your Ancestral Domain, let your Tribal Council do that for you and let them give you appropriate solutions,” Gov. Dayanghirang said adding that Mandaya must not let these armed groups enter Sitio Sangab.
Gov. Dayanghirang announces the further developments that will reach Sitio Sangab including the initial 100 housing interventions with the National Housing Authority and the Rehabilitation and Concreting of Farm to Market Road with the initial recommendation of the Governor to the Department of Agriculture amounting to 100 Million. He also plans to provide livelihood interventions for the sustainable development in the area.
On the other hand, Col Datuin shares also his initial coordination with different agencies especially to the Provincial Government of Davao Oriental for the sustainability of this endeavor.
“We will be expecting a quarterly event like this to strengthen Peace and Development Outreach Program activities in some areas of Davao Oriental,” Col Datuin concluded.
Written by: Van Jorain Rufin
Source: 701st “Kagitingan” Brigade, Public Affairs Office
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