U.S. Military Supports Medical, Dental Outreach in Palawan Indigenous Communities

From January 19 to 22, the U.S. Civil-Military Support Element-Philippines (CMSE-PHL) worked with local partners to bring no-cost medical and dental care to more than 800 residents of Rizal and Quezon municipalities in Palawan.

CMSE-PHL donated almost 1,000 kilograms of medical and dental supplies valued at over Php717,000 ($14,000) to augment ongoing outreach programs conducted by the provincial and municipal governments to provide medical services in rural barangays.  CSME-PHL also helped facilitate the travel of doctors and dentists from Puerto Princesa to provide medical consultations and dental education workshops.

CSME-PHL provided the medical and dental services in cooperation with the Rizal and Quezon local government units, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) 18th Special Forces Company, the Palawan Department of Health (DOH), the Philippine Dental Association-Palawan chapter, and local chapters of the Kiwanis Club and Philippine Eagles.

With CSME-PHL support, DOH successfully vaccinated more than 140 people in Rizal and Quezon against COVID-19 with the Johnson & Johnson vaccine—continuing the fight against the pandemic in some of the most rural barangays of Palawan.

“We were pleased to see the [CMSE-PHL] come here and work with us in our mission to bring services to the people of Quezon.  We hope to see them here again,” said Quezon Mayor Joselito “Joy” Ayala.

“We are proud to be able to travel to Rizal and Quezon for our medical and dental outreach and help contribute to a 75-year legacy of friendship and cooperation between the United States and the Philippines,” said Sgt. 1st Class Phillip Mendoza of CMSE-PHL.  “We want to thank all of our partners in Palawan, from the AFP, the provincial and municipal governments, and the medical and dental professionals, for making this possible.”

Before departing Palawan, CMSE-PHL also donated four medical tents to DOH in Puerto Princesa to help the province’s ongoing vaccination efforts against COVID-19 and fight the recent surge of cases.

“This medical mission is an example of the strong US-Philippine partnership in action,” said Capt. Jose Syrill M. Pervez, the commanding officer of AFP’s 18th Special Forces Company.  “We have the Philippine military, government, civilian, and now our American partners from the CMSE-PHL working side-by-side to support the people of Rizal and Quezon, and I hope we can continue this effort together.”