Balikatan closes, boosts Bayanihan

MANILA, Philippines - Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief Gen. Eduardo Oban Jr. said yesterday the Balikatan exercise helped implement their new security plan Bayanihan as it involved the conduct of development programs.

Oban said the AFP expects civil-military operations (CMOs) to be highlighted in succeeding Balikatan trainings of Philippine and US troops.

“While combat-oriented trainings have dominated previous Balikatan programs, we now see civil-military operations gradually assume an equal footing and figure significantly in Balikatan activities,” Oban said during the closing ceremony of the exercise at Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City.  

Oban said such a development is favorable to the implementation of Bayanihan, which aims to address the roots of rebellion through development projects.

This year’s Balikatan exercise is the first since Bayanihan took effect last January.

Among the development projects conducted by Balikatan participants were the construction of eight school buildings in Zambales and Tarlac, and the giving of medical, optometry and dental services to about 8,000 people.

Balikatan teams also offered vaccinations and veterinary care to some 7,000 animals.

“We hope that the civil affairs projects, medical and veterinary visits and cultural exchanges to have far reaching positive impact on people’s lives for years to come,” said US embassy deputy chief of mission Leslie Bassett.

Some 3,000 US troops and 2,000 AFP personnel participated in the Balikatan 2011 exercise held from April 5 to 15.