DAO, Philippines -- Pacific Angel Philippines came to a definitive end at a closing ceremony at Dao Covered Court in Dao, Bohol Province, Philippines, here Aug. 24.
The ceremony featured speakers from the local and provincial level, a flag officer from both the United States and the Philippine militaries, representatives from local schools and a cultural performance by students of a local elementary school.
Following the ceremony, city and provincial officials joined military representatives for a ribbon cutting ceremony to officially dedicate all projects to the citizens of Bohol.
The ceremony closed a busy but satisfying week for service members from the U.S., the Philippines, Australia, Timor Leste, Indonesia and Papua New Guinea, all of whom came together to increase their skills and intercommunication, as well as provide support to Boholano residents.
Over the course of six days, 5,101 patients received care at a Health Service Outreach in the municipality of Lila, Philippines.
Of those individuals, 1,797 people received prescription or UV-protected sunglasses. 1,061 diseased teeth were extracted, and over 7,000 prescriptions were written to cure various ailments.
Concurrently, across the island province, six different schools were refurbished, with some receiving critical electrical, windows, plumbing, carpentry, painting and other engineering work, providing rehabilitated learning space to approximately 5,000 youngsters.
Scattered among these projects were about 10 subject matter expert exchanges on topics ranging from crowd control to mass casualty events to public health outreach.
But Pacific Angel Philippines is not an exercise that can be easily explained through quantifiable means, nor should it be, according to U.S. Air Force Brig. Gen. John Hillyer, mobility assistant to the chief of staff, U.S. Pacific Air Forces.
"Over the past week, our nations have partnered with military and civilian medical professionals to provide general health, pediatrics, physical therapy, dental and optometry services to the people of Bohol," Hillyer said. "We have also partnered to provide structural, plumbing and electrical assistance. These projects are a visible expression of the United State's commitment to the Asia-Pacific and demonstrate our continuing resolve to support international disaster and humanitarian relief efforts in the region. Likewise, this event highlights the importance the United States places on our relationship with the Philippines."
The goal of the Pacific Angel program is to team up U.S. military experts with host nation military experts, along with other partner nations across the Pacific, to encourage interoperability and build capacity. A pleasant byproduct of this interaction is the ability to provide projects that positively affect the lives of individuals in developing countries.
Similar Pacific Angel missions have taken place in Cambodia, Timor-Leste, Indonesia, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, Mongolia, Laos and Nepal, among other locations.
The Pacific Angel program, a U.S. Pacific Command-sponsored exercise carried out by Pacific Air Forces, is now in its eighth year.
"Through Pacific Angel, we have reinforced existing partnerships and will create new friendships to ensure a more peaceful and prosperous Asia-Pacific region," Hillyer said. "By working together now, we are ensuring a more rapid and integrated response to the next natural disaster or crisis."