The Philippine leg of Pacific Partnership 2015 (PP-15)
formally started in Capiz Monday morning.
The annual humanitarian and disaster relief preparedness
mission is expected to benefit thousands of residents battered by Supertyphoon
"Yolanda" during its onslaught on Nov. 8, 2013.
Taking part in the PP-15 is the U.S. Navy's hospital ship,
USNS Mercy, which arrived in Roxas
City
Members of the US Pacific Fleet, the Armed Forces of the
Philippines Central Command and 3rd Infantry Division together with the local
government unit of Capiz will take part in PP-15.
Major Ray C. Tiongson, 3rd Infantry Division spokesperson,
said that doctors and engineers from the AFP will work alongside their US
counterparts to provide engineering, medical, dental and veterinary aid to the
survivors of Yolanda during the two-week PP15 mission in the province.
Specific activities include the repair of Basiao Elementary School ,
construction of a new school building in Roxas
City School
for Philippine Craftsman and construction of a new health care center in
Barangay Talon, Roxas
City
The medical and dental civic action programs will be held in
Barangay Culasi and Barangay Loctugan in Roxas City
A cooperative surgical engagement will also be held on board
USNS Mercy.
At least 300 patients will be accommodated for surgeries,
while dental symposium for military and civilian dentists will also be
conducted on board the said ship.
In addition to the above-mentioned activities, the USNS Mercy's
crew will also host partnership events such as a multilateral leadership forum
on gender and development, partnered training with barangay health workers,
biomedical repair exchanges, and a disaster risk reduction forum intended to
enhance international response to natural disasters.
The humanitarian assistance and disaster response (HADR)
table top exercise and water search and rescue training will likewise be
participated in by the Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council-
6 (RDRRMC6) and Capiz Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council
(PDRRMC).
Tiongson said the primary objective of Pacific Partnership
is to improve interoperability and cooperation between the partner and host
nations ahead of major natural disasters that require a multinational response.
PP-15 participants on the ship and on the ground include
personnel from the United States ,
Australia , South Korea , Malaysia ,
Japan , and New Zealand
The USNS Mercy will depart Roxas
City Aug. 4, and transit to Subic Bay
to continue its mission in the Philippines
She and her crew will be in Subic Bay, Zambales this coming
Aug. 5 to 14, continuing Pacific Partnership subject matter expert exchange
events and community relations projects while the ship undergoes routine
maintenance.
Now on its tenth iteration, Pacific Partnership is the
largest annual multilateral humanitarian assistance and disaster relief
preparedness mission conducted in the Indo-Asia-Pacific Region.
It started from the US
military-led humanitarian response to the devastation brought by the 2004
Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami that swept through Southeast
Asia .
In November 2013, the US
deployed USNS Mercy to Tacloban
City
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=784401
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.