Petty Officer Ramos, a dental technician with the Combined Joint Civil-Military Operations Task Force, conducted a community health engagement at Davila Elementary School in Pasuquin, Ilocos Norte, Philippines on April 19, 2024. The event was part of Exercise Balikatan 24 and aimed to teach oral hygiene to children in the area. During the three-day engagement, Philippine and U.S. service members provided medical and dental evaluations to residents of Ilocos Norte, increasing healthcare access and awareness in the community.
Through events like community health engagements, both military forces work together to support local communities and promote health and education initiatives. Exercise Balikatan 24 is an annual training exercise between the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the U.S. military that aims to strengthen bilateral interoperability, capabilities, trust, and cooperation based on decades of shared experiences.
The photo taken on April 19, 2024 shows Petty Officer Ramos demonstrating oral hygiene to children at Davila Elementary School. The event aimed to improve healthcare access and raise awareness of oral health practices among the residents of Ilocos Norte.
Exercise Balikatan 24 is just one example of how the military forces from both nations are working together to build relationships while also benefiting local communities. By engaging with local communities and providing essential services like medical and dental evaluations, the military forces contribute to the overall well-being and health of the residents in the region.
Overall, this community health engagement showcases the ongoing partnership and cooperation between the two nations through military exercises like Balikatan 24. By working together to support local communities and promote health initiatives, both nations are able to make a positive impact on people’s lives in Ilocos Norte.
