BASCO ISLAND - After two failed attempts to land over the past two months due to weather, a small group of U.S. Marines from Okinawa, Japan, with a large payload made a short side trip to the Philippine island of Basco with about 2,200 pounds of food, health care items, clothes, sporting goods and toys.
"The third time's a charm," Marine Colonel Gary Shaw, deputy wing commander of 1st Marine Aircraft Wing in Okinawa, said in a statement Saturday."We always refuel our helicopters here on the way to bilateral exercises with the Armed Forces of the Philippines, and the people of Basco always welcome us. We really wanted to get in here and thank them again this year," he said.
The U.S. Marines were on their way to Luzon province as part of the annual "Operation Goodwill Delivery" with more than 20,000 pounds of goodwill items and about 400,000 Philippine pesos ($8,000 U.S.) destined for communities and charitable organizations in Palawan and Northern Luzon up to Tuesday next week.
The Marines are planning a second half of Operation Goodwill Delivery in mid-January to communities and organizations in Zamboanga, Negros and Leyte.
The U.S. Marines, service members, and their families in Okinawa created this program in 2003 to show appreciation to the children and families of the Philippines for welcoming U.S. Marines during annual bilateral exercises.
The U.S. Marines work each year with their families to gather donations and then deliver toys and supplies to Filipino children over the holiday season.
About two hundred local Filipinos, including town leaders, gathered at Basco's airport to greet the Marines and Santa, who was immediately engulfed by about 30 children as he handed out candy.
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