The country, if not the world, was touched when photos of Cpl. Danilo Galingan, a Filipino soldier assigned to the 8th UN Peacekeeping Contingent to Haiti (8th PCH), landed on the front page of The STAR, showing him in the act of rescuing those who were trapped when a school building collapsed in the troubled nation’s capital of Port au Prince on the morning of Nov. 7, 2008.
Haiti, which has been torn apart by factional fighting, gang wars and kidnapping for ransom, was again hit by a tragedy, which killed at least 30 people. And Filipino troops, risking their own lives and personal safety, rushed to the scene to help rescue those buried in rubble.
“It was a pitiful situation, seeing them in that condition. It touched something in us that made us forget about our own safety. All we thought of during that time was to help and rescue those that might still be alive,” Galingan said in an interview shortly after the tragedy.
Faced with the difficulties of a language barrier with the locals, the lack of proper rescue equipment, and the risks of the urgent mission at hand, Filipino peacekeepers worked double time, focusing on survivors as the primary objective and then the casualties.
“At first, we were shocked to see so many people who had died. But some were still alive at nagpapasaklolo (asking for help). Dahil sa sobrang awa namin, agad kaming kumilos at tumulong sa mga victims at una naming tinulungan ay ‘yung mga buhay at dinala sa safety area o kaya sa mga ambulance para madala sa ospital (We were overcome with pity so we rushed to help the victims, bringing those still alive to a safe area or to the ambulance so they could be taken to hospital). Kahit ilang ulit na kaming pabalik-balik ay hindi namin naramdaman ang gutom at pagod that time (No matter how many times we had to go back, we didn’t feel hungry or tired),” Galingan said.
Responding in that manner to such incidents came as no surprise for the Filipino peacekeepers, because back home, soldiers often take an active role in disaster rescue and relief operations.
In Haiti, however, the 155-strong 8th PCH members are normally tasked to do clerical work and provide security for key personalities involved in the UN peacekeeping mission.
The La Promese incident prompted Col. Raymundo Elefante, 8th PCH chief, to recommend the issuance of rescue equipment to the peacekeepers to enable them to respond effectively to similar disasters that they might encounter during their six-month stint.
Foreign military commanders who are part of the UN peacekeeping mission to Haiti have also expressed admiration for their Filipino counterparts. The Filipinos were cited for responding beyond the call of duty and showing their determination to accomplish the mission, whether it be securing key personalities or res-ponding to emer-gency situations, even thousands of miles away from home.
But it was not the first time that the Filipino soldier acting as peacekeeper displayed heroism and willingness to offer his life for others.
Staff Sgt. Antonio Batomalaque, an elite army Scout Ranger, died when he used his body to cover other peacekeepers who were being fired upon by criminal gangs in Port Au Prince last April 14, 2005.
For this, he was posthumously awarded the Soldier’s Medal, making him the first Filipino to earn the highest US award for non-combat gallantry.
Col. Martin Girard of Canada, the concurrent chief of staff of the UN mission to Haiti, admires what he sees as Filipino traits, saying these have enabled them to relate more effectively not only to their foreign counterparts, but also to the locals in the mission area, who see them as “bagay,” the Haitian word for “friend.”
“The admirable characteristics of the Filipino peacekeepers, compared to that of other nationalities in the mission area, are their professionalism, dedication, effectiveness and efficiency in performing their job or assigned tasks,” he said.
He pointed out that the Filipino’s amiable personality, charisma and hospitality have endeared them to their counterparts, who accord them high regard and respect.
“They can easily adjust and adapt to any given situation and the Filipinos are well-known English speakers,” Girard said.
Elefante, meanwhile, said that his troops, while performing their mandated tasks dutifully, never fail to keep in touch with their loved ones back home through e-mail and phone calls.
“As peacekeepers, they are by nature sweet and loving people who always find ways and means to keep in touch with their loved ones and family back home. Though deployed in a distant land, they always maintain their close-knit family ties through the use of cellular phones and Internet communication,” he said.
The soldiers receive three times their basic pay as compensation, and this they send back to their families in the Philippines.
Aside from Haiti, the Armed Forces of the Philippines deploys peacekeepers to Liberia, East Timor, Sudan and Ivory Coast as part of its commitment as a UN member nation, where they also serve as ambassadors of goodwill to people in the mission areas.