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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider PH, US troops bring relief aid to storm-hit Batanes; death toll from recent storms now at 34

PH, US troops bring relief aid to storm-hit Batanes; death toll from recent storms now at 34

Published Jul 29, 2025 03:52 pm
Philippine Air Force (PAF) personnel deliver relief assistance to Batanes on July 29, 2025 to help residents affected by recent storms recover quickly. The United States also deployed seven aircraft and dozens of US Marine Corps personnel to assist in the relief operations of the Armed Forces of the Philippines. (Photo: PAF)
Philippine Air Force (PAF) personnel deliver relief assistance to Batanes on July 29, 2025 to help residents affected by recent storms recover quickly. The United States also deployed seven aircraft and dozens of US Marine Corps personnel to assist in the relief operations of the Armed Forces of the Philippines. (Photo: PAF)
The Philippine Air Force (PAF) and United States Marine Corps (USMC) transported relief assistance to the island of Batanes on Tuesday, July 29, in the aftermath of the successive storms and enhanced southwest monsoon (habagat) that affected the country.
Department of National Defense (DND) Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. said the US government deployed seven aircraft and dozens of Marines to support the humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR) operations of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).
“There are already seven US marine aircraft together with our own fleet of C-130s and other aircraft and helicopters in order to bring goods to communities which cannot be serviced by the road networks right now,” said Teodoro, who also serves as the chairman of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC).
“In fact, at this very moment, the Philippine Air Force and the U.S. Marines are working together to transport relief goods to Batanes, not to distribute them, but to replenish the prepositioned supplies, in line with the President’s [Marcos] directive to anticipate and address all needs in advance,” he added.
PAF spokesperson Colonel Ma. Consuelo Castillo said the aircraft deployed by the USMC were a combination of rotary and fixed-wing assets.
“They are here and they are committed to help us in our HADR efforts,” she said.
She explained that the utilization of the foreign assets for HADR mission will be under the direction of the OCD, which pinpoints areas that need immediate assistance.
According to the Office of Civil Defense (OCD), 150 family packs, 375 pails of hygiene kits, and 14 boxes of assorted medical essentials were delivered via a C-130 transport aircraft of the PAF from Tuguegarao Airport to Basco, Batanes.
Batanes was given premium importance as the island province is inaccessible when there is bad weather, complicating the government’s relief operations.
Data from the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) revealed that the death toll from the combined effects of tropical cyclones “Crising”, “Dante”, “Emong” and habagat has reached 34.
More than 6.67 million individuals were affected, including 193,000 who were displaced due to flooding and landslides.

Related Tags

PAF US Marines relief assistance Crising Dante Emong habagat NDRRMC Gilberto Teodoro Jr. OCD
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