Korean troops to help in rebuilding Leyte

Korean soldiers are welcomed at the Mactan Cebu International Airport during their arrival.

MEDICAL and engineering troops from South Korea arrived in the country yesterday to help in rebuilding efforts in Samar and Leyte provinces.

This is the second group from South Korea. The first group brought food aid and clearing equipment in the first wave of responders immediately after typhoon Yolanda hit the provinces last November 8.

With 529 members, the troops from South Korea are s the biggest delegation of foreign volunteers sent for rehabilitation efforts, said Undersecretary Eduardo Batac of the Department of National Defense.

Lee Hyuk, South Korean Ambassador to the Philippines, welcomed the 300 troopers, who landed on a 747 Boeing plane at the Mactan-Cebu International Airport.

Hyuk was accompanied by Batac and Maj. Gen. Romeo Poquiz, commander of the 2nd Air Division of the Philippine Air Force.

The rest of the South Korean troops arrived in their navy ship which docked at the Cebu International Port (CIP) yesterday morning.

In his speech welcoming the troops at Mactan, Ambassador Lee Hyuk said this is a symbol of good relationship between the governments of South Korea and the Philippines.

Hyuk remembers the 7,500 Filipino soldiers who were sent to Korea during the war in the 1950s against North Korea wherein 112 Filipinos died.

“Now that the Philippine government is in need of help due to the effect of the typhoon, we will be here to help,” he said.

The South Korean troops will concentrate their efforts in Tanauan, Tolosa, Palo and may stay for six months or longer if necessary.

Batac said they chose these places because other groups are already helping Tacloban, northern Ilo-Ilo, northern Cebu, Mindoro and Palawan.