AFP to take part in US Pacific Partnership 2023

From the Philippine News Agency (Aug 21, 2023): AFP to take part in US Pacific Partnership 2023 (By Priam Nepomuceno)

MANILA – The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) on Monday announced its units will be participating in the US-led Pacific Partnership 2023 as part of its efforts to beef up humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR) capabilities.

It will be in San Fernando, La Union starting Tuesday (Aug. 22) to Aug. 31.

"Now on its 18th iteration, Pacific Partnership 2023 (PP23) is the US’ largest annual multinational HADR exercise aimed at enhancing preparedness and interoperability with seven host partner nations in the Indo-Pacific," AFP public affairs office chief Lt. Col. Enrico Gil Ileto said.

Aside from HADR, PP23 will feature engineering, medical, dental and veterinary activities.

"The HADR facet will focus on three primary training namely: mountain search and rescue, urban search and rescue, and water search and rescue. Refreshers on basic life support, incident command system, and operations center management will also be conducted," Ileto said.

A culminating training on an earthquake-tsunami response scenario will also be conducted to round up the HADR exercises.

“We welcome our ally and partners as we embark [on] another opportunity to build strong, stable, and resilient communities,” Ileto said.

Meanwhile, medical and dental civic action programs will focus on exchanges and community education to help build resilience and enhance capabilities to respond to HADR needs.

Topics include public health, infectious diseases, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancer, forensic dentistry, oral surgery, and diet and nutrition.

Engineering projects are lined up and will be performed by the American, South Korean, and Filipino military engineers to address critical infrastructure concerns.

“This exercise underscores our commitment to regional stability, disaster response readiness, and the well-being of every Filipino and our neighbors. With our partners, this will help us hurdle challenges by fostering goodwill and fostering safer, more resilient communities for generations to come," Ileto said.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1208199