Agreement for ambulances

Story & Photos By Georgene Quilaton-Tambiga

Detente y Ayuda (DYA) Filipinas, Inc., one of organizations that ARCORES International supports, is now in partnership with the 701st Ready Reserve Infantry Battalion (RRIBN) of the Reserve Command of the Philippine Army in executing ambulance operations in Cebu City and the rest of Metro Cebu.

Last April 24, 2022, the Memorandum of Understanding of Ambulance Operation between the two organizations was signed at the 701st Community Defense Center in Sudlon, Cebu City.

Fr. Vicente Ramon, Jr., OAR and responsible of ARCORES Filipinas in San Carlos City, represented DYA Filipinas as the president while Col. Edgar Mangabay, Group Commander of RCDG 7, represented the 701st RRIBN.

During the presentation of the rationale of the partnership, Lt. Col. Antonio Esmero, Jr., Battalion Commander of RRIBN, called for the “24/7 participation and commitment of the Philippine Army Reserve Officers or the reservists to the volunteer ambulance service operations with DYA.” Lt. Col. Esmero added that this will fulfill DYA and RRIBN’s pact to keep the safety and security of the people in Cebu City.

He added that RRIBN needs to help DYA Filipinas in enlisting more medical doctors and nurses into the volunteer ambulance service group.

Fr. Ramon, meanwhile, mentioned that while the partnership is mainly for the promotion of the security of the people, he also considered it a gift for his recently celebrated 25th sacerdotal anniversary since he is a priest and at the same time a volunteer and reservist.

500 years of Christianity in Cebu

On the same day that the partnership between DYA Filipinas and RRIBN was formalized, the DYA ambulance with its volunteers, who are mainly alumni, students and employees of the University of San Jose-Recoletos, joined the closing procession of the 500 Years Anniversary Celebration of the Arrival of Christianity in Cebu, Philippines.