Over 10,000 villagers benefit from Army-NGO health mission

April 22, 2026 | 7:03pm

COTABATO CITY, Philippines — More that 10,000 villagers benefited from a three-day medical, dental and community health intervention mission of the Army’s 10th Infantry Division and the Youth With A Mission (YWAM) Ships Philippines in Barangay San Isidro in Talaingod, Davao del Norte.

Radio reports on Wednesday, April 22, stated that the April 15-17 humanitarian activity of the 10th ID and the YWAM, a transnational non-profit, non-government organization engaged in public health service activities, in Barangay San Isidro, also involved Talaingod’s municipal officials and 60th Infantry Battalion.

Officials of the 10th ID and local executives said 10,222 villagers, including children, women and elderly folks, availed of the free medical and dental services during the three-day outreach activity, partly capped off with lectures on prevention of communicable diseases in their tribal enclaves.

A big group of physicians, medical technologists and health care experts, among them foreigners, representing the YWAM, from different regions in the country and abroad, cooperated in pushing forward the three-day humanitarian event in Barangay San Isidro.

Major Gen. Alvin Luzon, commander of the 10th ID, said they are thankful to the YWAM for having partnered with them in serving villagers from marginalized families during the three-day public service event in Barangay San Isidro.

“It was a good example and a showcase of what can be achieved, in terms of public service, via civil-military efforts,” Luzon said.

Officials of the 60th IB, a component-unit of the 10th ID, and local executives who supported the activity had told reporters that many of the residents who underwent medical and laboratory examination then were former members of the New People’s Army who have surrendered and pledged allegiance to the government in recent years.

Luzon said the 10th and the health service teams from YWAM had also provided villagers with medicines for their ailments during the three-day medical mission.

Hundreds of grade school boys were also circumcised then for free by Army and civilian physicians representing YWAM, according to radio reports in Cotabato City and in nearby provinces in Central Mindanao on Wednesday.

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