3/16/2010
By Chief Petty Officer David M. Votroubek , Marine Forces Pacific
Armed Forces of the Philippines and U.S. military service members are working to change perceptions of the military through a community relations project for school children in Angeles City.
Philippine Air Force Col. Palagio Valenzuela learned from Sapang Bato Elementary School principal Leonida Quinto that her students misunderstood the military. Together they looked for ways to change that perception. Balikatan 2010 provided a new opportunity to do this when donated goods, provided by several U.S. services, became available, along with AFP and U.S. Air Force personnel to deliver them.
Palagio helped to plan a visit to the school March 15, 2010 and represented the Philippine Air Force during the delivery.
The community relations project took place during Balikatan 2010, an annual bilateral exercise between the AFP, Philippine civil defense agencies and the U.S. military designed to increase interoperability and security in the region.
Several U.S. airmen from the 33rd Rescue Squadron and 25th Air Support Operations Squadron of the U.S. Air Force participated in the project to deliver clothing, hygiene items, linens and toys to students at Sapang Bato Elementary School.
Most of the donations came from Operation Goodwill, coordinated by III Marine Expeditionary Force frok donations by the military community in Okinawa, Japan. Air Force personnel also contributed $1000 for school supplies and Hawaii-based units donated boxes on new T-shirts.
During the visit, students greeted the AFP and U.S. Airmen with songs, dancing and garlands, while Principal Quinto presented certificates of appreciation to Valenzuela and U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Chris Veazie. Airmen symbolically delivered a box of clothing and toys to the principal, who will divide all the donated goods equally between 1,700 students at three Sapang Bato schools.
Afterwards the presentation, hundreds of students surged forward to meet the military members. Quinto then gave Veazie a tour of the school grounds, while teachers and students took several of the Airmen to see their classrooms.
"Their impression of the military is changing because of this kind of activity," said Valenzuela as he watched the students with the Airmen. "It is completely different now."
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