US National Guardsmen cheer up streetkids

Hawaiian National Guard members meet with street kids through the assistance of the Dilaab Foundation.  (CDN Photo/Edison delos Angeles)

BEFORE heading back home tomorrow, 18 members of the Hawaii-based unit of the US National Guards spent time with street children at the AFP Central Command’s covered court in barangay Lahug yesterday afternoon.

One of the street children, eight-year-old Edison Joaquin, joined the American servicemen and some Philippine Army soldiers in playing local games like bato-lata, and balay-bato-bagyo despite being physically-challenged.

He was unable to join them in a pickup game of basketball.

“Diri na lang ko kay dili ko makagunit sa bola (I’ll just stay here instead because I cannot hold the ball),” Joaquin, whose left hand is malformed, said as he retreated to the sidelines and watched the others play.

Seeing this 25-year-old Sgt. Jason Domingo of the National Guards sat beside Joaquin and encouraged him to play, even giving him his patch as motivation.

“Seeing him not play is heartbreaking. I gave my patch to him to tell him to be strong and encourage him to play,” Domingo said. Joaquin smiled and tried to shoot the ball with his right hand.

A feeding program followed and the National Guards later distributed school supplies to the children. Maj. James Barros said they earlier distributed goods to fire victims in barangay Kamputhaw, Cebu City last Saturday.

Lt. Col. Ireneo Balucan Jr. also said they partnered with Dilaab Foundation to look for an orphanage as a beneficiary of their feeding program.

The 18-member Hawaiian National Guard unit participated in a two-week Balikatan exercise that focused on humanitarian assistance and disaster training.

The activity is part of the 2014 Philippines-US Balikatan Urban Search and Rescue Exercises that began last May 2.