Meanwhile, the military has created a task force that will conduct relief and rehabilitation efforts in Isabela.
Navy spokesman Lt. Col. Edgard Arevalo said the task force, to be led by Commodore Edgar Abogado, consists of engineering and rescue teams backed by various military assets.
He said the creation of the task force was in response to the appeal of local officials whose areas were practically flattened due to the typhoon.
“This is our effort to help our needy fellow Filipinos in that devastated area. The Philippine Navy will serve as link between our people and those who want to help them,” Arevalo said in a statement.
The task force will proceed to Isabela via logistics support vessel BRP Dagupan City, which left the Navy headquarters in Manila yesterday noon.
Included in the contingent are four naval combat engineering teams from the Naval Construction Brigade.
Arevalo said a 60-man rescue team under the Naval Forces Northern Luzon has been transformed to recovery, relief and rehabilitation teams.
Other Navy assets to be used for the relief operations are the BRP Alfredo Peckson, an aircraft, and three M35 trucks.
“A communications van that will serve as hub will also be included to link the different military units in the area since the communications was down,” Arevalo said.
He said the task force is also coordinating with other state agencies and private institutions to assist the typhoon victims.
“We are calling all benevolent institutions to help us in this humanitarian operation. Interested parties may send their relief goods through the Philippine Navy for our brothers in Isabela,” Arevalo said.
WITH lessons learned from past devastating typhoons, the national government, more than ever, is now well prepared and well-equipped for any eventuality once “Super Typhoon Juan” makes its expected landfall Monday in the northern Luzon area.
By ELLALYN B. DE VERA
Manila Bulletin, Monday, 18 October 2010
MANILA, Philippines – Northern Luzon where it is expectedTyphoon “Juan” (international name: Megi) intensified into a “super typhoon” as it roared closer to to make landfall this morning, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said Sunday.
Storm Signal No. 4 (winds above 185 kilometers per hour) had already been hoisted in Cagayan and Isabela provinces at 4 p.m. Sunday, said PAGASA Weather Forecasting Section Chief Robert Sawi as “Juan” packed maximum sustained winds of up to 225 kilometers per hour (kph) near the center and gustiness of up to 260 kph.
Technically, PAGASA does not have a “super typhoon” category, but Sawi explained that the United States-based Joint Typhoon Warning Center declares a cyclone as a super typhoon when its winds exceed 215 kph near the center.
As of 5 p.m. Sunday, the eye of the typhoon was located at 390 kilometers (km) east of Aparri, Cagayan and moving westward at 22 kilometers per hour (kph).
“There is a 90 percent chance of landfall over the Cagayan area, then it will cross Apayao, and exit Ilocos Norte,” said PAGASA weather forecaster Aldczar Aurelio.
PAGASA projected that the super typhoon would make landfall in Aparri, Cagayan, at 8 a.m. Monday and dump an estimated rainfall of 22 mm/hr.
Sawi said Juan which will be at 100 km east of Aparri or 50 km southeast of Laoag City this afternoon, can possibly exit the country also Monday.
Areas placed Sunday under Signal No. 3 (winds of 101-185 kph is expected in at least 18 hours) were Batanes, Calayan and Babuyan Groups of Islands, Apayao, Kalinga, Mountain Province, Ifugao, Quirino and Northern Aurora.
Signal No. 2 (winds of 61-100 kph is expected in at least 24 hours) was hoisted over Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, Abra, La Union, Benguet, Nueva Vizcaya, and the rest of Aurora.
Signal No. 1 (winds of 30-60 kph is expected within the next 36 hours) was raised in Pangasinan, Tarlac, Nueva Ecija, and Polillo Island.
Classes have already been suspended in Regions 1, 2 and the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR).
PRE-EMPTIVE EVACUATION BEGINS IN CAGAYAN
As this developed, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council or NDRRMC (formerly the National Disaster Coordinating Council) ordered the pre-emptive evacuation of families living in high-risk areas as early as Sunday.
In Tuguegarao City, all families in coastal areas who are expected to be directly affected by the projected landfall the typhoon this morning have begun evacuations.
In a phone interview, Cagayan’s Social Welfare and Development Officer Edna Junio said as of press time that the different rescue groups are busy helping the local residents in going to the designated preemptive evacuation centers in the province.
“These residents are living along the river banks and coastal areas in Buguey, Gonzaga, Sta. Ana, Ballesteros up to Aparri towns in our province,” Junio said.
Meanwhile, Executive Director Benito Ramos of the NDRRMC, said that aside from Cagayan province, many families are also tend to evacuate in the province of Nueva Ecija especially those living near the Casili River, San Mariano River, and Chico River.
RESCUE TEAMS READY
Lt. Col. Edgard Arevalo, Navy Public Affairs Office (NPAO) director said the Philippine Navy’s disaster response task groups (DRTG) have been on alert since Friday in preparation for Juan, the strongest storm to enter the country this year, so far.
Arevalo said the DRTGs are prepositioned at the Naval Forces Northern Luzon (NFNL) in La Union, Naval Forces Southern Luzon (NFSL) in Legaspi City, and the Fleet-Marine Ready Force’s (FMRF) task units in the Manila-Cavite areas.
“In Northern Luzon, three teams are on standby with two teams located at the NFNL Headquarters.
The third team at the Naval detachment Bonoan is manned by naval reservists to augment the Navy’s regular force in the area,” said Arevalo, adding that each team has 10 personnel and equipped with a rubber boat and other life-saving equipment.
Meanwhile, two teams are also on standby at the Naval Education and Training Command (NETC) in San Antonio, Zambales to respond to citizens in need.
Arevalo said a team of Navy SEALS are also on standby. Augmenting these teams are naval ROTC cadets.
In Manila, two teams from the Naval Reserve Command (NRC) in Intramuros are on standby with 10 personnel each team.
NATIONAL GRID BRACES FOR STORM
Power transmission service provider and system operator National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) said Sunday it was all set to activate its command centers Sunday in preparation for the expected landfall of the typhoon Monday.
The NGCP’s system operations and operations and maintenance personnel in Luzon and Visayas have been enjoined to make all necessary precautions to minimize the impact of the typhoon.
To coordinate contingency measures in all NGCP facilities in the path of the typhoon, command centers at the head office, regional and district levels will be activated 24 hours before landfall.
Monitoring of grid conditions, assessment of damages, supervision over rehabilitation and restoration works, and documentation will all be done at the command centers.
All telecommunication facilities, equipment, tools and vehicles have been secured and groups of linemen have been organized and prepared to be deployed at any emergency.
M.M.D.A., MAYORS ACTIVATE DISASTER RESPONSE UNITS
Still on alert for the possible damage to be caused by the super typhoon, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) and lead government agencies in disaster response situations have activated personnel and equipment ready to respond in any emergency.
In an emergency meeting with government agencies held Sunday, MMDA chairman Francis Tolentino assured the public of their readiness when typhoon Juan hit Metro Manila.
“We have synchronized all measures that we have undertaken should typhoon Juan bring a large amount of rain in the metropolis. Key government agencies expressed readiness to assist the public in worst scenarios prepared to cope with the possible destruction of typhoon Juan in the unlikely event it will hit Metro Manila,” said Tolentino.
On Sunday, the MMDA chief presided inter-agency meeting attended by Metro Manila Police Director Chief Superintendent Nicanor Bartolome and representatives from the Armed Forces of the Philippines-National Capital Region Command (AFP-NCR-Com), the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), Department of Health (DOH) and the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) where they presented their reports. (With reports from Elena L. Aben, Freddie G. Lazaro, and Anna Liza T. Villas)
In a statement, the US embassy said the opening rites for Phiblex are slated at 10 a.m. at the Holiday Inn Hotel here.
“The two-week long training will be held simultaneously in various locations in Luzon covering the areas of Cavite, Tarlac, Nueva Ecija, Zambales and Pampanga,” the US embassy said.
The bilateral exercises, according to the embassy, “are designed to improve interoperability, increase readiness, and continue professional relationships” between the Philippine and US armed forces.
The Philippine Marine Corps and Air Force will join US Marines from the Japan-based 3rd Marine Expeditionary Force and US sailors from the Essex Expeditionary Strike Group in both the ground-air and naval integration training, it added.
In addition to these exercises, the Philippine Marines, together with other military units, will join US military personnel in community activities such as medical and dental missions, construction of schools and repair of classrooms, and beautification projects in selected communities, the US embassy said.
Phiblex activities open to media coverage include live-fire training at Crow Valley in Capas, Tarlac.
The Phiblex closing ceremonies are slated on Oct. 22 at Fort Bonifacio in Taguig City.
Meanwhile, CARAT is the US Navy’s 7th Fleet annual exercise with the Philippine Navy to improve interoperability between them.
CARAT includes amphibious landings, humanitarian civic action, subject matter expert exchanges, naval operations symposia, community service projects, and diving and salvage operations.
Subic authorities said six US Navy battle ships and three aircraft are joining the military and civic activities that will also involve about 1,000 Philippine Navy men and Marines.
Under the 2010 CARAT exer cise are “in port” training, including subject matter expert exchanges and civic activities like medical, dental and other humanitarian services, and “at sea” training such as search and seizure procedures, maritime interdiction operations and surveillance, and naval gunfire support.
Bomba, Monday, 11 October 2010
MAGSASAGAWA ng siyam na araw na pagsasanay ang mga miyembro ng magdaragat at Marines mula sa Philippine Navy, habang ang mga sibilyan mula sa Central Luzon ay mabibigyan ng tulong mula sa humanitarian assistance at development projects ng mga American sailors at marines kasama ang kanilang Filipino counterparts.
Mahigit sa 3,000 sailors, Marines, at aviators kasama ang logistics support units ng US Navy at US Marines angdumating para sa nasabing pagsasanay gaya ng: CARAT at PHIBLEX.
Kasali rito ang 6 US avy vessels at 3 airctafts na aayudahan ng 5 Philippine avy ships at tinatayang I,OOO-strong PN contingent ng mga magdaragat' at marines.
CARAT 0 Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training sa pagitan ng mga barko at sailors ng dalawang bansa aysisimulan sa ika-l3 ng Oktubre sa Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority sa Zambales. Matatapos naman ito sa ika-22 ng Oktubre.
"It shall be comprised of "in-port" and "at-sea" training activities. lncluded in the "in-port" events are: SubjectMatter Expert Exchanges, community service activities like medicalJdental/engineering civic action and other humanitarian activities. Meanwhile, "at sea" events are comprised of Visit, Board, Search, and Seizure Procedure, Maritime Interdiction Operations, MaritlDle Surveillance, and Naval Gunfire Support, among others," ayon sa nakasaad sa programa.
Ang PHJBLEX 0 Amphibious Landing Exercise ay sasalilian ng American at Filipino Marines gayundin ng amphibious vehicles. ldaraos naman ang boat raid exercise sa Marine Base Temate sa Cavite at isang mechanized raid ang gagawin sa karagatan ng Naval Education and Training Command sa Zambales.
Sisimulan naman ito sa ika-l4 ng Oktubre sa pagbubukas nito sa Clark, Pampanga at magsasara sa ika-22 ngOktubre sa Philippine Marine Corps Headquarters sa Marine Barracks Rudiardo Brown sa Naval Station Jose Francisco sa Taguig City.
Ang naturang pagsasanay ay inaasabang mapapalakas ang inter-operability sa pagitan ng dalawang armed services ng daIawang bansa. PN
By Elena L Aben
Manila Bulletin, Monday, 11 October 2010
MANILA, Philippines – The annual bilateral military training exercises — called Amphibious Landing Exercise (PHIBLEX) and Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT) — between Philippine and American forces start Monday.
At least 3,000 US servicemen are now in the country for the nine-day bilateral training, with their counterparts in the Armed Forces of the Philippines.
Lt. Col. Edgard Arevalo, Philippine Navy Public Affairs Office (NPAO) director, said around six US Navy vessels and aircraft will also participate in the annual event that involve five Philippine Navy ships and at least 1,000 Philippine Navy and Marine personnel.
Arevalo said while both Philippine an American sailors and marines stand to benefit from the exercises that will take place in Central Luzon and Southern Tagalog, civilians in areas where the activities are set to be held will also gain from joint humanitarian assistance and development projects by Philippine and US military personnel.
The NPAO director said PHIBLEX will involve American and Filipino Marines and amphibious vehicles. A boat raid exercise will be held in Marine Base Ternate in Cavite and a mechanized raid will be held in the coast of the Naval Education and Training Command (NETC) in Zambales.
PHIBLEX will officially begin on Thursday, Oct. 14, at Clark, Pampanga and will end on Oct. 22 at the Philippine Marine Corps Headquarters at Marine Barracks Rudiardo Brown, Naval Station Jose Francisco in Taguig City.
AT least 3,000 United States servicemen and their assets are in the country for two military exercises with their counterparts in the Armed Forces in Central Luzon and Southern Tagalog, a military spokesman said yesterday.
The Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT) exercise will be held October 13 to 22 at the former US Navy base at the Subic Bay in Zambales, and the Amphibious Landing Exercises (Phiblex) on October 14 to 22 at the former US Air Force base in Clark, Pampanga.
"Around six US Navy vessels and three aircraft (will) participate in these annual events that involve five Philippine Navy ships and around 1,000-strong PN (Philippine Navy) contingent of sailors and marines," said Navy spokesman Lt. Col. Edgard Arevalo.
Under CARAT are "in port" trainings, including subject matter expert exchanges and community service activities like medical, dental and engineering civic actions and other humanitarian activities, and "at sea" trainings which involve visit, board, search and seizure procedure; maritime interdiction operations and surveillance; and naval gunfire support, among others.
For the Phiblex, Arevalo said a boat ride exercise will be held at the Marine Base in Ternate, Cavite and a mechanized raid at the Naval Education and Training Command in Zambales.
"The exercises hope to attain inter-operability between the two armed services of both countries," said Arevalo.
"Particularly, it seeks to bolster the inter-operability of the participating country’s armed services in territorial defense in pursuit of our national defense strategy," he added.
MANILA, Philippines - Troops from the Navy and the Air Force will participate in annual bilateral exercises with more than 3,000 of their US counterparts this month.
Navy spokesman Lt. Col. Edgard Arevalo said some 1,000 troops from the Philippine Fleet and Marines would train with personnel from the US Navy and US Marines for the Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT) and PHIBLEX (Amphibious Landing Exercise).
On the other hand, Air Force spokesman Lt. Col. Miguel Okol said in a radio interview that they would send a contingent for Talon Vision 2010, an integrated training exercise usually held side by side with PHIBLEX.
“Sailors and Marines of the Philippine Navy stand to benefit militarily in a nine-day training while civilians from Central Luzon stand to gain in humanitarian assistance and development projects,” Arevalo said in a statement.
“We will provide the air component for the exercise. Our troops will learn a lot from this. But our US counterparts will also get an insight on how we do our operations,” Okol told radio station dzRH.
Arevalo said six US Navy vessels and three aircraft would take part in the event.
CARAT will start on Oct. 13 at Subic Bay in Zambales and will end on Oct. 22. It will be composed of “in-port” and “at-sea” training activities.
“In-port” exercises include subject matter expert exchanges and community service activities like medical missions and engineering civic action.
On the other hand, “at-sea” events include visits, board, search, and seizure procedure, maritime interdiction operations, surveillance, and naval gunfire support.
Meanwhile, PHIBLEX will involve American and Filipino Marines and amphibious vehicles.
PHIBLEX activities will include a boat raid exercise at the Marine Base in Ternate, Cavite and a mechanized raid at the Naval Education and Training Command in Zambales.
PHIBLEX will start on Oct. 14 in Clark, Pampanga and will end on Oct. 22 at the Philippine Marine Corps headquarters in Taguig City.
Navy spokesperson Lt. Col. Edgardo Arevalo said he could not stress enough the "urgency" of their need for helicopters after the Department of National Defense suspended the bidding for an P851-million Contract for two new helicopters.
"We hope that the issue can be resolved really soon. We have an acute need for air assets like helicopters. Right now we do not have any helicopter," he said. On Aug. 17, a Navy Bolkow helicopter PNH411 crashed off Zamboanga City in the middle of a training session.
Three passengers survived while the remains of pilots Lt. Tristan Joseph Corpuz and Lt. Junior Grade Jayrald Tamayo were recovered two days later.Arevalo said they need helicopters for search and rescue operations, resupply and deployment of personnel.
"The Navy however, defers to the decision of higher headquarters for a process that may be required for the procurement of these much needed aircraft for the Naval
Air Group," he added. Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin ordered a 30-day probe into a possible collusion between defense officials and a supplier since the same company which had already cornered two Air Force contracts worth P6 billion emerged as one of only two bidders for the Navy contract.
Aside from suspending the bidding for the Navy contract, Gazmin also deferred the award to PZL Swidnik SA of Poland of a P3.2-billion contract to supply seven Air Force attack helicopters. Swidnik also won the P2.8 billion contract to supply eight Air Force combat utility helicopters.
Both the Navy and Air Force leaderships yesterday downplayed collusion between their respective technical working groups that identified the specifications for acquisition of P4 billion worth of helicopters and the suppliers which was the basis of the Department of National defense (DND) to defer the procurement process.
“It isn’t possible to influence the specs to suit a particular manufacturer in that bottom-up process,” said Navy spokesman Lt. Col. Edgard Arevalo.
Arevalo cited the budget allotted to the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) as a major factor in the procurement of helicopters. The DND has allotted P860 million for two units of multi-role helicopters.
The contract was supposed to have been bid out last Monday but Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin deferred the process, following reports of alleged collusion between the technical working groups and the suppliers as revealed by Reps. Teddy Casiño and Tomas Osmeña.
Aside from the procurement of the Navy helicopters, the P3.2 billion contract for seven units of attack helicopters intended for the Air Force was also deferred for similar reason.
There were allegations that the specifications provided were tailor-fit to only one supplier, apparently the PZL Swidnik SA, said to be the largest helicopter manufacturer in Poland. The firm was the only one left in bidding for the P3.2 billion contract after five other reputable bidders backed out from the process.
Last Monday, DND-Bids and Awards Committee Chairman Assistant Secretary Ernesto Boac announced the deferment of the P3.2 billion contract for seven units of attack helicopters for the Air Force which is now in its post qualification stage and the cancellation of the scheduled bidding for P860 million helicopters for the Navy.
Boac cited statements made by Casiño and Osmeña and media reports about alleged irregularities.
“Given the specs, there certainly are other companies who can comply, but the budget that the AFP has for the helicopters could be that major delimiting cause why other bidders may have backed out as in this case,” said Arevalo.
Arevalo explained that the Navy provided the technical specifications of the helicopters considering the peculiarities of Fleet-Marine operations that require the said air assets.
“The specs originating from the inputs of the end users, like the Naval Air Group and the Sailors and Marines in the frontline, were submitted to higher headquarters thru channel — passing through the Technical Working Group to Weapons Systems Board of the Navy — all the way to similar offices at GHQ (general headquarters) going to DND,” said Arevalo
For his part, Air Force spokesman Lt. Col. Miguel Ernesto Okol maintained that the Air Force technical working group or the project management teams (PMTs) based their recommendations on the current requirements of the command.
“The project management teams that has crafted this basing to current operational requirements, has based it on flight, actual flight experience, there is old doctrines that is currently used… so they came out point by point,” said Okol.
On the alleged collusion, Okol said “those are allegations, those are speculations but the Air Force PMTs are considered professional body of young pilots, very senior in flying experience, attack pilots, as far as the attack helicopter is concerned, so they based it on doctrines and actual operational requirements.”
While both Okol and Arevalo admitted that the delay on the acquisition of much-needed helicopters was not expected, they supported the deferment move if only to promote transparency in the military procurement processes.
“The Navy, however, defers to the decision of higher headquarters for a process that may be required for the procurement of these much-needed aircraft for the Naval Air Group,” said Arevalo.
For his part, Okol said “we just look at that in a way that it is just an added procedure probably established by no less than the secretary of national defense and perhaps to put some closure into the whole activity.”
The bidding processes for the acquisition of seven attack helicopters for the Air Force, worth PJ.2 billion, and two multi-role helicopters for the Navy, worth P860 million, were suspended by Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin.
"It is impossible for us to rig that (technical specifications) to cater to anybody's requirements," Okol also said.
Lt. Col. Edgard Arevalo, Navy spokesman, said the technical specifications for the Navy's multi-role helicopters were provided by the Navy, considering the peculiarities of Fleet-Marine operations that require such assets in the conduct of various operations, including counter-terrorism and search and rescue.
A MALAYSIAN property developer has emerged as the first entity to take a bite into the offer of President Benigno Aquino III to lease and develop the Philippine Navy's properties.
Rear Admiral Danilo Cortez told reporters after a budget hearing in the Senate that Malaysia Resources Corp. Berhad (MRCB) has formalized its offer for the 22-hectare Fort Bonifacio Naval station which it planned to convert into a mixed use, commercial, office and residential project. The property includes a golf course, a hospital, housing units for the soldiers and officers and the headquarters of the Philippine Marines.
Cortez said the MRCB submitted its letter proposal dated Sept. 10 this year to Aquino who has ordered the Department of National Defense to evaluate the unsolicited proposal from Malaysia.
"It's still in the evaluation stage, there are still a lot of requirements. We will bid it out in one year," said Cortez who noted that the naval station property along Roxas Boulevard was a separate deal.
In his State of the Nation Address, Aquino bared his administration's thrust toward public-partnership projects for major capital projects including the monetization of military assets to bankroll the modernization of the Armed Forces Aquino hoped to raise at least $100 million from the 5O-year lease of the military assets. "We are offering all our assets to maximize their potential," said Cortez.
Cortez said that while the military ngets lease offers for its properties, it has already started the relocation of its major service units to the AFP general headquarters in Camp Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo in Quezon City.
