Filipino troopers hold farewell party for Aussie soldiers

The 19th Infantry Batallion of the Philippine Army hosted a farewell party for the Australian soldiers last Sunday at barangay Aguiting, Kananga, Leyte.
The party, which included food and games strengthened the camaraderie and sealed the friendship between the Philippine military and the 500-member Australian Defense Task Force deployed to Leyte after supertyphoon Yolanda struck last month.
The Australians are scheduled to return to their country tomorrow. They will be  sent off at the Mactan Benito Ebuen Air Base in Lapu–Lapu City, Cebu tomorrow.
“The rehabilitation was faster with your help and the equipment you had. Thank you so much for rehabilitating our headquarters,” said Lt. Col. Nedy Espulgar, commander of the 19th IB during his speech at the farewell party.
The Australian troops fixed the water system, toilets, basketball court, guard house, flagpole, and the dining hall of the military headquarters.
Espulgar also thanked the Australians for helping fix 16 schools in Leyte allowing 15,000 students to go back to class Monday last week.
As a sign of gratitude, Espulgar gave a certificate of recognition to Lt. Col. Roderick Lang, Australia Joint Task Force 630 commander.
Lang also gave Espulgar a framed Australian flag, insignia of the units that form the task force and pictures. He thanked the Filipino soldiers  for their friendship and performance during the aftermath typhoon Yolanda.
“I want to go back here, I want to see the people recover after the storm,” Lang told   Cebu Daily News  in an interview. Shooting competitions, basketball and tug of war games were played by mixed teams from both military forces.
Meanwhile, the local public works department is still awaiting  approval of the P700-million proposed budget to repair schools and roads in northern Cebu, so it has called on the private sector to help.
If the allocation is approved this month, then they can proceed with the bidding of the projects by January, said Engr. Mario Menina, chief of the construction section of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) 1st Engineering District.
In a press briefing yesterday at the Mactan Air Base, he said they already sent a damage report to the national office.
They identified 597 public school buildings damaged by supertyphoon Yolanda in the north.
Meanwhile, American non-government organization Americares has committed $250 million in fund assistance to typhoon hit areas in the country until 2015.
Americares manager of emergency response Riaz Khalil in yesterday’s briefing at the Mactan Cebu International Airport VIP   Lounge  said they have already given a total of $5.5 million in medicines for the typhoon hit areas which includes northern Cebu.
“As of today, we have already given to 10,000 people in northern Cebu which amounts to $100,000. /Michelle Joy L. Padayhag, Correspondent with Correspondent Norman V. Mendoza and Reporter Aileen Yap