LOWER OLANDANG, Midsayap, North Cotabato (MindaNews/18 October) – A bridge separates this town from Datu Piang in Maguindanao where one person was killed and another injured early evening Wednesday in Barangay Kalipapa but American soldiers participating in a medical civic action program (medcap) here Thursday, didn't appear bothered.

A team comprising representatives from the municipal health office, the Philippine and US military and the Philippine National Police arrived at noon in this tree-shaded area near a school, to distribute medicines for basic ailments, multivitamins, a few pieces of toothbrush, umbrellas, tee-shirts, bullcaps and backpacks.

Municipal doctor Amymone Rayray said a Medical Seminar (medsem) was held October 15 to 17 where they gathered three participants each from 15 riverside barangays, mostly Moro-dominated areas, to guide them on what to do during medcaps in their areas.

“This is the first time this is being done in the Philippines,” Dr. Shaun Alderman of Minnesota, a member of the US Special Operations Task Force, told MindaNews. He was referring to the holding of a medsem, which he described as a “brand new concept” and a “revolutionary method.”

“Before, when we had medcaps, it was chaos. Now it is orderly,” he said as he pointed to a desk where he and Dr. Rayray were to check up on the patients. The list, prepared by one of the village leaders they trained at the medsem, had 30 names.

In another corner, a medsem participant was busy preparing the table where the multivitamins and other non-prescription medicines were to be distributed while still another was managing the queue.

A few meters from the queue, a male cook squatting on the ground tasted a meat recipe in a wok laid on stones. Near him were emptied woks containing remnants of rice and another viand.

The language barrier is obviously a major problem for both patient and Alderman. It is time-consuming, too. What the patient is complaining about and what the doctor wants him/her to do have to be translated.

It took so long, for instance, for an elderly female patient to do what Alderman wanted him to do: touch the tip of her nose with her forefinger and touch the tip of Alderman’s forefinger as it moved.

Distributing goods, however, required no translation. Alderman made sure locals helping them with the medcap would be given bullcaps. He handed the caps to each of them himself.

Other villagers were given umbrellas. Tee-shirts bearing a logo that says “Honor in Peace” and “Tulungan/Tabangan” (Pilipino and Binisaya for “help”) went to villagers nearest the military official distributing them.

Surprisingly, the shirts and bullcaps mentioned none of the medcap-organizing groups.

Sgt. Mike Dayundo, civil-military officer of the Army’s 602^nd Infantry Brigade, said the goodies came from the US military.

The medcap here is the third for Team 1 today, said Alderman.  In the morning they were at Kadigasan and Upper Olandang.

Dayundo’s list of distributed goodies showed a total of 170 umbrellas distributed in the three medcaps for the day; 325 shirts; 70 bullcaps in Kadigasan alone; “check-up” (referring to medical consultation), 48 in Kadigasan, 180 in Upper Olandang and 30 here.

Dayundo also listed 250 stickers reportedly for  “counter-terrorism” but they ran out of supply as these were distributed in Upper Olandang.

Alderman said three teams were doing medcap today,  each team comprising four from the US military, 15 from the Philippine military and six from the Municipal Health Office.

Team 2, he said, has a doctor from the Malaysian-led International Monitoring Team (IMT). The IMT is a multi-country endeavor aimed at monitoring the implementation of the ceasefire agreement between the Philippine government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).

Alderman said they invite the local MILF representatives in their activities.

Alderman, who is leaving the country “soon,” has participated in several medcaps in his six-month stint in Mindanao. The doctor says he’s been to Marawi and Palimbang in Sultan Kudarat, among other areas.

Alexander Weeks of Seattle, Wasington, a chief warrant officer of the US Special Operations Task Force,said he’s been to “eight medcaps and two encaps (engineering civic action program) in the last six months. He is leaving for the United States  in two weeks and will be back to the Philippine Army’s 6^th  infantry Division where he and Dr. Alderman are based, “after six months.”

Weeks, who says he loves “the weather, the hospitality and the food (“kinilaw and kilawin”), says a new team from the US military will take over when they leave.

"So this is part of your counter-terrorism campaign?”  MindaNews asked Alderman and Weeks.

“You ask the military. I am just the doctor here,” Alderman said.

Weeks says they’re here to “help the people.”

Alderman and Weeks said they realize a few hours’ medcap is not enough and that after the last of the donated medicines and multivitamins are gone, the same health problems hounding the villagers will remain. “What then?” MindaNews asked.

Alderman, the American military doctor who says 95% of those who come to medcaps want multivitamins, has no answer.

Weeks, who, as chief warrant officer, according to the website, possesses “a high degree of specialization in a particular field in contrast to the more general assignment pattern of other commissioned officers,” says. “I don’t have the medical expertise to answer this.”  (Carolyn O. Arguillas/MindaNews)