DVIDS – News – Philippine and US Health Engagement Partners to Empower Dingalan Community

Amidst the palm tree-lined streets of Dingalan, Aurora, more than 120 barangay residents participate in a community health activity organized by the Dingalan City Mayor's Office and the Philippine and U.S. Military and Civil-Military Joint Operations Committee before the start. We gathered. of Balikatan 24 Exercise on April 5, 2024.

The community health activities aimed to empower participants by discussing a variety of health topics, including basic lifesaving techniques, mental health awareness, and women's health. As part of its activities, the task force donated essential medical and dental supplies, including medicines, mosquito nets, dental equipment, and CPR mannequins.

“This is something very special,” said Dingalan City Administrator Sheila Tai. “Our people are grateful. Today exceeded our expectations.”

Due to the increased medical proficiency of women, the all-female barangay health workers were the largest participants in this active medical event with over 90 participants. Their community knowledge supports the group of health authorities at Dingalan Rural Health Center. Through discussions led by Maj. Johanabil Villanueva, Philippine Army, an infectious disease nurse, and U.S. Navy Lt. Lina Mae Leach, an obstetrics-medical-surgical nurse, women from these regions, known as “frontliners,” , enhanced women's health care skills through discussion of contraceptive methods and medical surgeries. pregnancy. Leach, who is Filipino American, spoke part of the discussion in Tagalog.

Frontliners also learned about mental health awareness and how to bring it back into the community. U.S. Navy Lt. Jessica Strickland, a behavioral health provider, and U.S. Navy Hospital Petty Officer 3rd Class Nathan Regan, a behavioral health technician, led a discussion on post-crisis psychological first aid.

“As a bilateral team, we are fully committed to the future of health care in this community,” said Lt. Col. Generoso Lintag, AFP Balikatan Regional Health Operations Officer.

Doubling the power of communities in emergency relief, basic lifesaving discussions promoted best practices for tourniquet use. AFP coast guard personnel, students from Dingalan National High School, and members of the Dingalan Emergency Response Team attended the lecture. Dingalan, an independent fishing municipality with fewer than 30,000 residents, relies on emergency response teams for emergency services. In 2023, they responded to 45 water and car accidents. Tourniquet training is aimed at preventing severe bleeding in emergencies and complements emergency response team fundamentals such as standard first aid, ambulance operations, and water search and rescue.

“It's incredible to be here with my AFP colleagues to build relationships with this community,” said U.S. Navy Capt. Jason Blitz, U.S. director of health operations in Balikatan.

Additional participants included city disaster prevention officers, Dingalan City Police, firefighters from the Fire Department, and local officials, demonstrating the community's commitment to medical education.

This health activity was carried out at one of five locations during the Balikatan 24 Humanitarian Civil Assistance Mission, where AFP and U.S. military personnel work side by side to demonstrate our unwavering dedication to ensuring a brighter and safer future. This is a powerful demonstration of our efforts. all.

These humanitarian efforts are part of the annual exercise Balikatan 24 between the Philippine and U.S. militaries, which builds on bilateral interoperability, capabilities and trust built through decades of shared experience. , aimed at strengthening cooperation.