Following a request from the Philippine government and in coordination with the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), the US Indo-Pacific Command deployed marine corps, Air Force Ospreys, and Air Force MC-130Js, deliver life-saving relief items to communities in Northern Luzon recently affected by consecutive storms and the southwest monsoon, in support of Philippine government disaster response operations.

In coordination with the Philippines’ Office of Civil Defence (OCD), Ospreys participated in the AFP-led airlift operations on July 30 and 31 to transport 600 Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Family Food Packs (FFPs) and emergency relief items from Clark Air Base to Basco, Batanes.

“The United States stands shoulder to shoulder with our Filipino allies, especially in responding to disasters,” US Ambassador to the Philippines MaryKay Carlson said. "We are grateful to the combined relief and rescue teams who have been working tirelessly on the ground to deliver emergency assistance to affected residents.”

The US Embassy in Manila has been working closely with the Philippines’ National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, OCD, DSWD, and the World Food Programme (WFP) to deliver food and relief supplies to Central and Northern Luzon. As of July 29, WFP, with approximately P13.8 million ($250,000) in funding support from the US Department of State, mobilized trucks that delivered more than 47,700 DSWD-provided FFPs in Ilocos Norte, La Union, and Pangasinan, providing emergency relief to more than 200,000 persons affected by severe flooding.

In the same note, US government provided an additional P13.8 million ($250,000) in funding to deliver emergency shelter assistance and hygiene kits to more than 3,000 families, or approximately 15,800 persons, remaining in evacuation centers in Rizal, Laguna, Bulacan, and Pampanga following severe flooding in July.

This latest assistance brings the total amount of US humanitarian support for disaster response efforts in the Philippines to P27.6 million ($500,000).

Through this new tranche of funding, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and DSWD will distribute shelter-grade tarpaulins, shelter repair kits, and essential household supplies to families whose homes were damaged or destroyed. Each shelter repair kit contains basic construction tools and materials to help families begin rebuilding their homes.

To promote health and sanitation and improve living conditions in evacuation centers, families will also receive hygiene kits containing soap, buckets, and cleaning supplies. In addition to distributing relief items, IOM will also monitor the condition of hygiene and sanitation facilities to ensure the safety and wellbeing of affected families.

“Although flooding has subsided in most areas, thousands of families remaining in evacuation centers continue to face significant challenges,” US Embassy Chargé d’Affaires ad interim Y. Robert Ewing said. “We are grateful to be working alongside our partners, including IOM, the World Food Programme (WFP), the Philippines’ Office of Civil Defense, and the DSWD, to help affected families recover and rebuild.”