Pacific Partnership 2016 typifies renewed partnership, cooperation among stakeholder-nations

Fro the Philippine Information Agency (Jul 11): Pacific Partnership 2016 typifies renewed partnership, cooperation among stakeholder-nations

Albay Gov. Al Francis Bichara was all but thankful to the organizers and partners from both the Filipino and United States-led contingents in staging the Pacific Partnership 2016 providing humanitarian care services to the provincial residents in the past two weeks.

Bichara furthered that the mission has proven anew and strengthened the bond and friendship of the two countries, among other partners, that has stood the test of time and trials while providing the essential assistance to help uplift the lives of the locales especially in the countryside.

The governor keynoted the closing ceremony Pacific Partnership 2016  held at the Legazpi Convention Center here Sunday.

The 12-day humanitarian care mission commenced last June 27 and concluded on July 10.

Commanders of Armed Forces of tyhe Philippines (AFP) led by MGen. Romeo Gan and of the US led multinational force, RDML Babette Bolivar of the US Navy, who were also both present in the ceremony, share similar sentiments that the Pacific Partnership emphasized on the cooperation and mutual support of the two countries and other partners in dire circumstances such as natural calamities that often strikes the region.

The two military officers also accentuated the integration of international aid in supporting and performing local response in a given locality.

The collaboration and partnership among the uniformed personnel, local government units, other government line agencies, and volunteer groups, among others, was lauded and warmly received by the Albayanos as various services were offered.

The assistance came in the form of medical and dental civic action programs (Med/DenCAP), cooperative health engagements (CHE), engineering civic action programs (EnCAP), subject matter expert exchanges (SMEE), community relations (ComRel) activities and guided tours on board USNS Mercy hospital ship)

At least 7,859 locales benefited from the numerous services under the different programs of the Pacific Partnership  2016 that greatly helped in the capacity building among various stakeholders in the province.

In the course of the events, US contingent also facilitated the turn-over of Disaster Coordinating Center to the AFP, under the stewardship of the Philippine Air Force (PAF), located at the Tactical Operations Group (TOG) Bicol headquarters here.

The Pacific Partnership is a US led multinational contingent with a 14-country members that was organized after the December 2004 tsunami that affected The Pacific Partnership came to be in response to one of the world’s most catastrophic natural disasters, the December 2004 tsunami that devastated parts of Southeast Asia.

Over the years, mission has evolved primarily as direct care mission to an operation focused on enhancing partnerships through host nation subject matter expert and civil-military exchanges.

The multinational force is composed of 14 member countries that sends representatives for missions within the Indio-Asia-Pacific region.

This year, Pacific Partnership is embarked on the USNS Mercy (T-AH 19) and shall be starting their four-day voyage to Vietnam tomorrow for their next engagement.

http://news.pia.gov.ph/article/view/3211468202647/pacific-partnership-2016-typifies-renewed-partnership-cooperation-among-stakeholder-nations