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We all know that the soldiers’ main role is to protect the people and to secure our state. But most of us don’t know that our men and women in uniform go the extra mile to perform their duties to the people-to the point of putting their lives at stake. The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) have been on the front line of all the calamities and disasters that are happening now. In 2020, the pandemic turned the life of every Filipino around. It has left thousands of people jobless, hungry, and dead. During this difficult time, MGen Ernesto Torres Jr. (AFP), the Commander of the Civil Relations Services-Armed Forces of the Philippines (CRSAFP), pitched the idea of using the AFP Mobile Kitchen as a tool to serve the civilians. The AFP Mobile Kitchen (AFPMK) is one of the projects under the AFP “Kapwa Ko, Sagot Ko” advocacy, which was conceptualized by the CRSAFP, through the leadership of MGen Torres. It was originally intended to provide food for the troops, who fought at the Battle of Marawi in Marawi City, Lanao del Sur.
The Vessel of Blessings
Major Louzel L. Lara (AGS) PA, Group Commander, Media and Civil Affairs Group, CRSAFP, led the operation of the AFP Mobile Kitchen in areas affected by the implementation of the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) in Metro Manila. Major Lara said that the “Kapwa Ko, Sagot Ko” campaign helped provide the basic needs of the disadvantaged individuals in different communities, with the help of AFP’s partners and stakeholders. It utilized the AFP Mobile Kitchen to provide hot meals to the homeless, street dwellers, poorest of the poor, and residents of areas with security risk, and those areas that are tagged as high-risk for COVID-19 infection. The AFP Mobile Kitchen, also called the “Vessel of Blessings,” is made up of two large trucks. It is operated by soldiers
Collective / Issue 10 17
