President Rodrigo Duterte conferred the highest Presidential award to the soldiers who died in the helicopter crash in Bukidnon over the weekend.
Duterte conferred the Order of Lapu-Lapu, the highest award given by the Office of the President to persons in government or private sector who have rendered extraordinary service or have made exceptional contributions to the success of the President’s campaign or advocacy.
“Let me express my deepest condolences to your spouses. And I share your grief. I know how much sacrifice these soldiers did to our country,” Duterte said during a public address on government response to Covid-19.
“They died heroes. And we are giving them the one of the highest awards of the President, the Order of Lapu-Lapu,” he said.
The awards were given to Lt. Col. Arnie Arroyo, the pilot; 2nd Lt. Mark Anthony Caabay, co-pilot; Sgt. Mervin Bersabe; Airman 1st Class Stephen Agarrado; Sgt. Julius Salvado; and Jerry Ayocdo and Jhamel Sugalang, both members of the Civilian Armed Forces Geographical Unit. They were on board the Philippine Air Force UH-1H helicopter which crashed Saturday, killing all of them.
The helicopter took off from Malaybalay City, Bukidnon for a supply mission to a patrol base in the province. The helicopter encountered engine trouble and tried to make an emergency landing but later went down in Barangay Bulonay, Impasugong town.
Meanwhile, Assistant Secretary for Agribusiness, Kristine Y. Evangelista, visited the Caraga Region to represent the Department of Agriculture in the Convergence of Inter-Agency for Disaster Response in the wake of the devastation wrought by Tropical Depression Vicky.
Evangelista and Regional Director Abel James I. Monteagudo visited the municipalities of Prosperidad, Bunawan, Rosario in Agusan del Sur, and Cabadbaran City in Agusan del Norte. All of the places mentioned were severely affected by the tropical depression last December 18.
They handed out assistance such as capitalization through the Enhanced Kadiwa Program,343 bags of certified seeds, and 25 boxes of vegetable seeds.
Evangelista said farmers in affected towns may explore the marketing and entrepreneurial services of agencies to extend the profit they can gain from their agricultural products.
For example, Enhanced Kadiwa Financial Grant program may provide extra resources for farmers to buy materials and equipment and to help them market their goods directly to customers. The DA said this has three types of grant that could be used to finance value adding activities “such as procurement of produce, aggregation, and pre-processing; purchase of vehicle, equipment, and rehabilitation; procurement of store facility and its construction”.
Some P775,000 worth of rice, corn, and vegetable seeds were distributed as initial intervention for the inter-agency response to the affected areas.
Image credits: Presidential Photographers Division