Albay relief exercise set

From The Standard (Jun 25): Albay relief exercise set 

Albay hosts a new round of joint humanitarian partnership program on June 27 to July 11, involving some 1,000 troops from the US Navy and Australian Navy, among others, and the world’s largest hospital ship, the USNS Mercy. 

Dubbed “Pacific Partnership,” the program started during the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and its consequent deadly tidal  waves or tsunami, Pacific Partnership features an annual deployment of forces from the US Navy’s Pacific Fleet in cooperation with regional governments. 

The activity in Albay is under the auspices of the the Philippine-US Mutual Defense Treaty. The visiting troops will be joined by the Philippine Navy in South Luzon, and will be received by Albay Gov. Joey Salceda in ceremonies at the Albay Astrodome here city on June 27.

Salceda said Pacific Partnership provides an opportunity to enhance goodwill and cooperation among the region’s military forces and governments, needed during disaster relief operations, and at the same time deliver humanitarian and engineering assistance to local stakeholders.

He said Pacific Partnership also opens up an opportunity for Albay to show off its eco-tourism wealth, being a multi-awarded and fastest growing global tourism destination in the country. Albay, a Unesco World Biosphere Reserve is itself a UN global model for Climate Change Adaptation (CCA) and Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR), and a pioneer of novel strategies in disaster resiliency with its  Green Economy program.

The world’s largest hospital ship, USNS Mercy, serves as the centerpiece of the humanitarian activity.

Equipped with state-of-the-art medical facilities, its medical personnel with local troops, will treat some 4,000 local patients aboard the ship and in designated areas around the province.

The Pacific Partnership engineering troops are also scheduled to build or improve school rooms, water deposits and hand washing stations, and beach cleanups.
The troops and local resource persons will conduct seminars on DRR, sanitation, environment protection and sports events.

“It is an honor for Albay to host this activity, and have the world’s largest and famous hospital ship USNS Mercy to lend humanitarian attention to Albayanos, and people from neighboring areas,” said Salceda, a UN senior champion for CCA and DRR.

Albay had consistently hosted past humanitarian activities with US and other friendly troops, notably the Philippines-United States annual joint “Balikatan” military exercises in 2014, the Amphibious Landing Exercises or Phiblex in 2012, the US Pacific Angel in 2010, the RP-US Balikatan in 2009, and the visit of USS Peleliu in 2007.

USNS Mercy’s last visit to the country was in 2013, in Roxas City, following the onslaught of Typhoon Yolanda. Reputed as the world’s largest mercy ship, it measures 272.5 meters (894 ft.) long, 32.2 m. (105 ft. 8 in.) across, and has a full load displacement of 62,922 tonnes, according to the Guinness World Records.

In accordance with the Geneva Convention, USNS Mercy and its crew do not carry  offensive weapons, although defensive weapons are available. Firing at the Mercy would be considered a war crime.

As part of Pacific Partnership’s 10th anniversary, the US Pacific Fleet has announced USNS Mercy’s readiness to participate in the ongoing series of Disaster Preparedness missions, “to Prepare in Calm, to Respond in Crisis”. It has been invited by Timor Leste, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines and Vietnam.

http://thestandard.com.ph/news/-main-stories/top-stories/209046/albay-relief-exercise-set-.html