US Ambassador Kristie Kenney wows Calbayog City, turns over $20-M projects to Samar

In an unprecedented gesture of goodwill and friendship to Calbayog City, the United States of America Ambassador to the Philippines visited Calbayog City yesterday.

Kristie Kenney served as Guest of Honor during the closing ceremonies of Pacific Partnership 2008, a humanitarian mission rendered by the US Navy.

In her speech, Kenney said that it was her first time to visit Samar and Calbayog City and she is pleased with the extra-ordinary warmth afforded to her by Samarnons led by Calbayog City Mayor Mel Senen Sarmiento.

She added that the friendship shared by her country and the Philippines began in 1987 when the US Naval Ship came to Samar to provide assistance and to interact with the people of Samar.

She added that the Samar acceptance of her people doing missionary work could win any award on friendship.

The US Navy ship docked some kilometers away from Calbayog Port has loaded the Seabees (aka US Navy servicemen) who extended engineering, dental and medical services to some 26 thousand Filipinos in Cotabato and Samar.

They also brought with them some $ 20M worth of projects for Calbayog City and the neighboring municipalities.

The servicemen, wherever they went to perform their mission always draw crowds of Samarnons, especially children, the servicemen in turn could not help but warm up to the sun kissed tots.

Kenney and company were welcomed by live bands and school children in a standing parade waving both US and Philippine flaglets.

Mayor Sarmiento in his welcome message said the day of Kenney’s visit will be etched in the history of Calbayog City and Samar.

Kenney was accompanied by DFA Under Secretary Edcel Custodio, Captain William Kearns and Capt. Crispin Mercado of the Philippine Navy.

Scores of Calbayog City officials, Bishop Isabelo Abarquez, Northern Samar Governor Raul Daza, Samar Vice Governor Jesus Redaja were among those spotted by the media at the Tiburcio Tancinco Memorial Institute of Science and Technology (TTMIST) who welcomed the US visitors.