More military resources now helping in 'Yolanda' relief efforts --AFP

From the Philippine News Agency (Nov 16): More military resources now helping in 'Yolanda' relief efforts --AFP

The Armed Forces of the Philippines said on Saturday that more military personnel and trucks are arriving in Tacloban City, Leyte to help in the ongoing humanitarian assistance and disaster response (HADR) and ground relief operations in other supertyphoon "Yolanda"-affected areas.

As of Saturday morning, the 2nd Serial Bayanihan Express, which comprises 140 Army soldiers and 24 military trucks, is preparing to depart to Tacloban City after refueling in Legazpi City.

These self-sustaining troops, composed of security elements, maintenance personnel, and communications personnel with equipment, will assemble in Tacloban and will be redeployed to other affected areas in need of further assistance.

The 3rd Serial Bayanihan Express, consisting of 53 Army, Air Force and Navy elements with 28 military and civilian trucks/vehicles, on the other hand, is set to depart from Batangas Port via a roll-on, roll-off (RORO) vessel along with personnel from the 1st Special Forces Battalion en route to Tacloban.

Meanwhile, the Philippine Navy vessel AT296 left Cavite City Saturday en route to Matnog, Sorsogon. The logistics ship, which has a bow ramp, will prioritize the transport of military vehicles carrying equipment and personnel who will conduct HADR operations in Tacloban City.

The vessel, which has a capacity to carry eight military vehicles, is expected to arrive in Sorsogon Sunday night.

Also on Saturday, five C-130 flights by the Australian and New Zealand governments will be conducted from Mactan Airport in Cebu to Tacloban, Guiuan, and Ormoc to transport teams and equipment to augment the ongoing HADR operations in the area.

Last Friday, troops from the PA's 3rd Infantry Division, together with a group of Canadian Army soldiers, arrived at Roxas City, Capiz on board a Ceres bus and five M-35 trucks loaded with logistics supplies for relief and rehabilitation operations. A command post was established there to monitor movement of relief operations.

The first batch of the Canadian Army composed of 54 personnel arrived in Iloilo City on board their C-17 to aid ongoing relief operations in the area. They were augmented by another seven Canadian Army personnel who arrived in Roxas City on board a jet plane from Iloilo airport.

Currently, the AFP has about 12,000 troops on the ground under the Central Command conducting HADR operations in typhoon-affected areas in the Visayas. It also has about 3,400 external troops, including follow-on forces augmenting said troops.

Soldiers are also deployed to assist the Department of Social Welfare and Development in the repacking of relief goods.

Aside from troops deployed in DSWD Repacking Centers, the AFP has also established its own Repacking Centers in various headquarters in Metro Manila in coordination with the department: four in the Navy Headquarters, one in Villamor Air Base, two in the Army Headquarters, and one in the General Headquarters in Camp Aguinaldo.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=587476