Central Mindanao folk hail RP, US humanitarian missions

CAMP SIONGCO, Shariff Kabunsuan – The series of humanitarian projects launched in Central Minda­nao by combined US and Filipino soldiers have rekindled rosy memories of the Filipino-American cooperation during World War II, and local folks keep hoping the joint initiatives will continue longer.

Among those that have availed of last week’s RP-US medical and dental mission were dozens of Moro children in Midsayap town in North Cotabato, some of them dependents of Moro Islamic Liberation Front guerillas, who were circumcised by Filipino and American military physicians for free.

“Six of those circumcised were already adults, all farmers, who admitted not having seen health workers come to their communities since they were born,” said Lt. Col. Julieto Ando, spokesman of the Army’s 6th Infantry Division.

The joint RP-US military humanitarian projects in Central Mindanao was launched last month, opposed at first by many sectors fearing it would focus on joint war exercises that could imperil the ceasefire between the government and the MILF.

RP and US soldiers turned yesterday to local officials a two classroom building built by US and Filipino soldiers in Barangay Kadingilan, Midsa­yap, constructed as part of the “Balikatan 08” in the areas under the 6th ID.

The  “Balikatan 2008” is the 24th annual joint RP-US military cooperation thrust under the Mutual Defense Treaty and Visiting Forces Agreement.

“We are thankful to the 6th ID and the US Armed Forces for all of these projects. Our people keep asking for more,” said North Cotabato Gov. Jesus Sacdalan.

The joint RP-US humanitarian projects in Central Mindanao kicked off with last month’s free veterinary services for dozens of cattle owned by poor Muslim farmers in Pikit, North Cotabato.

The coming to Barangay Bagoinged in Pikit of US soldiers, accompanied by their Filipino counterparts, was the second since World War II, where American GIs and Moro guerillas, led by Udtog Mata­lam, Salipada Pendatun and Gumbay Piang, used the town as a springboard for their clandestine offensives against the Japanese Imperial Army positioned in surrounding towns.

“The veterinary services the US soldiers provided to villagers in Bagoinged is something new. People in this area are used to receiving only medical and dental services from government in the form of civic actions, not veterinary services for their farm animals,” said farmer Musib Bansigan, 50.

The productivity of farmers relying mainly on cattle to plow their fields are down when their animals are afflicted with various illnesses.

Barangay Bagoinged is not far away from the legendary Fort Pikit, a strategic hill at the town proper which the Spaniards and, subsequently, the Japanese in World War II, used as garrison where captured Moro guerillas and supporters were detained, tortured and executed.

There has been a rosy history of Moro-US cooperation in fighting the Japanese invaders in Pikit in what are now Carmen and Kabacan towns in North Cotabato, and Bukidnon province.

It was in Carmen when Pendatun, Matalam, who both belong to the Moro royalty, and Piang, who was a public school teacher, and more than a dozen tribal chieftains of hinterland tribes from Bukidnon and from the foot of Mt. Apo, organized the so-called Bolo Battalion, to help the US forces fight the Japanese.