CIVIC ACTION. Members of the Joint Task Force-Sulu turn over construction materials to the owners of two houses destroyed by the C-130 that crashed in Patikul, Sulu on July 4, 2021. The distribution activity on Friday (July 23) was combined with free medical checkup and haircut for affected residents of Sitio Amman in Barangay Bangkal. (Photo courtesy of JTF-Sulu)
ZAMBOANGA CITY – Joint Task Force (JTF)-Sulu and other government agencies got together to provide assistance to those affected by the C-130 crash in Patikul, Sulu, including members of the Tausug tribe who rescued the injured.
The civic action program dubbed “Nagpapasalamat at Nagpupugay” (Gratitude and Salute) held Friday included distribution of relief goods to 83 families by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD)-9, haircut by Army and Air Force personnel, and free medical checkup by the Rural Health Unit of Patikul.
In a statement Saturday, the JTF-Sulu said a groundbreaking ceremony and turnover of construction materials to Ibrahim Muksan and Aggah Ahaddi, owners of the two houses damaged during the crash, preceded the distribution of various assistance.
The Ministry of Public Order and Safety in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (MPOS-BARMM) bought the construction materials with the aid of 35th and 45th Infantry Battalions (IBs).
Brig. Gen. Benjamin Batara Jr., 1102nd Infantry Brigade commander, tasked the two Army IBs to provide manpower for the construction of the house at the soonest possible time.
“We've received cash aids from the office of the President, the governor, Patikul mayor and the Philippine Air Force. Now, we have these materials from BARMM-MPOS. The idea that the Army insists on building the house for my family is beyond heartwarming,” Ahaddi said in the vernacular.
The C-130 with tail number 5125 took off from Cagayan del Oro City and crashed in Sitio Amman, Barangay Bangkal before noon on July 4.
“I am still disheartened by the fact that we have lost lives in the C-130 mishap. They shall never be forgotten but we cannot continue to live in sorrow. The memories we have of this incident should bind us to remain unified. Today, I see smiles from the residents of Sitio Amman and in these smiles I see hope. This hope is what will help us rise up and come out stronger,” said Maj. Gen. William Gonzales, commander of the JTF-Sulu and 11th Infantry Division.
The civic action was also attended by Patikul Mayor Kabir Hayudini, Hadja Jamila Arasid of DSWD-9, and lawyer Al-Rashid Balt, director general of BARMM-MPOS. (PNA)
