The premier disaster response unit of the Philippine Army (PA) conducted a water search and rescue (WASAR) training with their counterparts from the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force (JGSDF) recently in Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City.
In a statement Sunday, Sept. 8, PA spokesperson Col. Louie Dema-ala said members of the 525th Combat Engineer "Forerunner" Battalion (525CEBn) and the JGSDF worked together to enhance their skills in responding to various types of calamities.
The two armies used various humanitarian assistance and disaster response (HADR) equipment donated by the Japanese government in 2021.
Dema-ala said the Sept. 4 training was part of the four-year Japan-Philippines HADR Cooperation Project Framework which aims to “enhance both forces’ capability to effectively respond to various types of disasters such as volcanic eruption, tsunami, earthquake and flood.”
Both the PA and JGSDF expressed eagerness to hold more joint trainings together especially with the signing of the Reciprocal Access Agreement (RAA) between the Philippines and Japan in July.
The RAA is an agreement which establishes procedures for the cooperative activities that are conducted by forces of Japan and the Philippines while the force of one country is visiting the other country and defines a legal status of the visiting force. The Philippines is the third country with which Japan signed the RAA, following Australia and the United Kingdom.
The RAA facilitates the implementation of cooperative activities between Manila and Tokyo such as joint exercises and disaster relief trainings, and improve the interoperability between the forces of the two countries.
The WASAR training was held on the heels of the visit of General Yasunori Morishita, chief of staff of JGSDF, to the country last Sept. 3.