(Photo: DND)
The Philippines and United States held a joint simulation exercise on humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operations (HADR) to improve their interoperability in transporting calamity aid to communities when a disaster strikes.
Department of National Defense (DND) Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr., Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief General Romeo Brawner Jr., and US Ambassador to the Philippines MaryKay Carlson witnessed as personnel from the AFP and US Indo-Pacific Command (Indopacom) simulated the delivery of family food packs (FFPs) for flood-affected communities at Clark Air Base in Mabalacat City, Pampanga on Saturday, Aug. 2.
The event featured a demonstration of how FFPs from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) are loaded and transported using US military aircraft, particularly the MV-22 Osprey, highlighting the logistics and coordination required in humanitarian response missions.
The activity also served to determine ways and means to further enhance future joint HADR operations between the two countries' forces.
Offiials also joined a guided cabin tour of the MV-22 Osprey as they witnessed first-hand its capability for rapid response and agile delivery in crisis scenarios.
Teodoro emphasized in his remarks the shared values underpinning the Philippines and US' partnership.
“Our partnership is premised on a fundamental value, the irreplaceable worth we place on every human life. That is very valuable to both of us. We respect each other, we respect human lives, and we are here to preserve that fundamental value," he said.
“To our treaty partners, the United States of America, we say thank you. And this will not be the last time. In the spirit of multilateralism, in the spirit of our bilateral people-to-people ties, we hope this partnership will be sustained and enhanced to contribute to the greater good of humankind," he added.
Meanwhile, Carlson reaffirmed the support of the US Indopacom to the AFP. She said the US military has been working closely with the AFP in transporting relief supplies to areas impacted by successive monsoons.
Through the assistance of the US, Carlson said a total of 47,000 food packs from DSWD have already been delivered to communities affected by recent storms "Crising", "Dante", and "Emong" as well as the southwest monsoon (habagat), including far-flung provinces such as the Batanes Islands.