Korean group conducts civic mission in Albay

LEGAZPI CITY --- A humanitarian mission by a 16-man Korean 911 Search and Rescue Team (911 S&RT) was held on Tuesday, Dec. 31 at Barangay North Victory, one of the coastal villages that was ravaged by storm surge when Typhoon Ursula hit Bicol on Dec. 3 this year.

The 911 S&RT composed of paramedics and engineers has started to repair damage walk bridge and five houses that were partially destroyed by the typhoon, said Kang Woo Lee, 911 S&RT chairman.

The group also conducted medical mission and gave medicines to hundreds of residents in the village, that were suffering from skin diseases, asthma and other respiratory illness.

Lee said the team has also conducted fogging on Monday, Dec. 30 to prevent the spread of dengue virus in Barangay Bulusan in Libon, Albay.

He said the team composed of employees and volunteers from Korea Ocean Engineering and Consultants Co., Ltd. (KOCECO) has been conducting humanitarian missions for the past 40 years and had undertaken several mission in 15 countries including the Philippines.

Lee said they have held a mission in Tacloban at the onslaught of Super Typhoon Yolanda in 2014 and in Mindanao during the Marawi siege and now in Albay.

Albay Gov. Bichara, in a simple ceremony held at the Governor’s Guest House, welcomed the group who after the 8-day mission would turn over to the province tents, folding beds, 5,000 pieces of new clothes, two fogging machines, and a ton of medicines and supplies.

Bichara in an interview said the province and the 911 SRT are finalizing a memorandum of understanding (MOU) for the construction of a SRT training center in Albay.