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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Army fetes 10 troopers for role in quake humanitarian mission

Army fetes 10 troopers for role in quake humanitarian mission

Published Apr 22, 2025 06:16 am
philippine army.jpg
PA Chief Lt. Gen. Roy M. Galido (left) dons the Meritorious Achievement Medal to an awardee during a recognition ceremony for the deployed 10-man Army Urban Search and Rescue Team under the Philippine Inter-Agency Humanitarian Contingent in Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City on April 21, 2025. (Photo: PA)

Ten soldiers were recognized by the Philippine Army (PA) for their involvement in the humanitarian mission in earthquake-battered Myanmar last month.

Army Commanding General (CGPA) Lt. Gen. Roy Galido led the awarding of the Meritorious Achievement Medal to the members of the PA Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) Team at the PA headquarters in Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City on Monday, April 21.

The awardees were First Lieutenants Alexis Nocos and Joey Labiang; Staff Sergeants Ricky Ramirez and Jesus Tomas Jr.; Sgt. John Rex Palaruan; Corporals John Paul Kismundo, Jundie Gutierez, Ryan Paul Cabueñas, and Alihuddin Hamid; and Private First Class Elmar Encinas.

They are all from the PA’s 525th Combat Engineer "Forerunner" Battalion, Combat Engineer Regiment who composed the Army USAR Team dispatched to Myanmar as part of the Philippine Inter-Agency Humanitarian Contingent (PIAHC).

They visited various disaster sites such as the collapsed Jade City Hotel in the capital city of Nay Pyi Taw and collaborated with teams from Myanmar, Vietnam, Indonesia, and Singapore to locate potential victims trapped in the rubble. All of these were done amid hazardous conditions, limited communication equipment, and extreme heat.

During the awarding, Galido also awarded the CGPA’s “personal coins” as token to the troops “to commemorate their exceptional courage, skill, and unwavering commitment to humanitarian service.”

Galido recognized the team’s achievements which “[reflected] their courage, discipline, and humanity under extreme conditions” and “brought honor not only to themselves and their unit but also to the entire Philippine Army.”

To recall the Philippine government sent an 89-member PIAHC to central Myanmar to assist in humanitarian assistance and disaster response (HADR), and search, rescue and retrieval operations after the country was struck by a magnitude 7.7 earthquake on March 28.

According to reports, more than 3,000 people were killed, over 5,000 were injured, and hundreds remained missing as of April 4.

The Philippine contingent also facilitated the delivery of 19,458 pounds (8,844.63 kilograms) of essential humanitarian aid which included hygiene kits and tarpaulins donated by the ASEAN Coordinating Centre for Humanitarian Assistance (AHA Centre).

Aside from the Army troops, the inter-agency contingent also included personnel from the Office of Civil Defense (OCD), Philippine Air Force (PAF), Department of Health (DOH), Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA), Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Emergency Response Team, and private sector partners Energy Development Corp. and Apex Mining Co.

The PIAHC returned to the Philippines on April 13 after a two-week deployment.

Related Tags

Myanmar earthquake Philippine Army Philippine Inter-Agency Humanitarian Contingent
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