Philippine Daily Inquirer, Monday, February 14, 2011Aquino, clad in a blue polo shirt and denim pants, commended the soldiers for their prompt response at the height of flash floods in the capital town of Jolo that killed six people and displaced thousands last week.
In the brief meeting at the headquarters of the 3rd Marine Brigade in Camp Teodulfo Bautista, Aquino lauded the soldiers for being pro-people, showing they were not just for combat operations.
Aquino announced an increase in the soldiers’ combat pay from P250 to P500 plus monthly and promised that military equipment such as aircraft and seacraft would be upgraded for their mobility.
He also vowed to provide the soldiers with personal combat equipment and free housing.
Earlier yesterday, Aquino, accompanied by Interior and Local Government Secretary Jesse Robredo and Social Welfare and Development Secretary Dinky Soliman, was briefed by Jolo officials led by Mayor Hussin Amin on the extent of the damage wreaked by the flash floods.
Aquino later distributed relief goods to the displaced residents before meeting the Marines. He flew back to Zamboanga City on his way to Manila.
JOLO, Sulu – Sulu Gov. Abdusakur Tan made an appeal to the national government for help to the flood victims in this capital town after Mayor Hussin Amin placed the area under a “state of calamity” due to flashfloods that hit many areas of the municipality since last Thursday.
Rep. Habib Tupay Loong (1st District, Sulu) also arrived here Monday morning from Manila to personally assess the situation of the flood victims that totaled about 1,140 households with an estimated 4,560 individuals.
Loong also called on President Aquino to personally inform him about the calamity that hit the town, as he also appealed for an immediate help for the people of this town.
A similar appeal was also made by Loong in separate calls he made to House Speaker Sonny Belmonte, Department of Social Services and Development (DSWD) Secretary Corazon Soliman, and to the Department of National Defense (DND).
Meanwhile, Tan reported that floodwaters have started to subside in some villages here where it earlier reached about five feet high – sweeping away houses and left five people dead.
“The flood is receding now, but there are some areas in Jolo like the village of Asturias where water is still about knee-deep,” Tan said.
Amin described the calamity here as “the worst flashfloods that have hit this town in many years.” Amin said that the damage brought about by the flood may breach the P100 million.
He said a portion of the wharf was also destroyed and goods being sold at the barter trading center here were also swept away by floodwaters on Friday.
As this developed, Tan and Amin jointly distributed yesterday relief goods to displaced residents here who were evacuated in other areas.
“We have been working on a 24-hour shift to ensure that the flood victims are taken cared of, especially the children,” Tan said.
“I hope the national government could extend the needed help for us to slowly recover again, and put in place again all the damaged infrastructures due to the flood,” Amin said.
A boat of the Philippine Navy stationed in Zamboanga City was also dispatched here to bring in relief goods from the Region 9 office of the DSWD.
Rubber boats were also mobilized since Thursday by the Philippine Marines and by the American troops of the Special Operations Task Force to assist the DSWD personnel here in providing meals and drinking water to the flood victims.
PANTUKAN, Compostela Valley -- A military exercise conducted by the Philippine Navy in the idyllic coastal Barangay of Kingking here drew more than a thousand spectators as the military showcased their latest sea vessels as well as the capability of the Marine soldiers and the elite Navy Seals.
Commodore Philip Cacayan of the Naval Forces Eastern Mindanao (NFEM) said the Fleet-Marine exercise dubbed as "Exercise Pagsisikap 11" is designed to test, evaluate and enhance the capability of their units in conducting Fleet-Marine operations.
Thursday's exercise was participated in by a Navy patrol ship, two patrol gunboats, two multi-purpose attack craft (MPAC), Navy Seals with fast patrol boats and a company from the 1st Marine Brigade.
A Navy Islander aircraft and a Huey helicopter were also utilized during the military exercise.
The MPACs were recently bought by the Philippine Navy at an estimated value of P75 million each. They presently have three MPACs and three more are scheduled for delivery thru the Armed Forces of the Philippines' modernization program.
MPACs is expected to boost the Navy's special operations and in other emergency situations. It will also enhance the Navy's conduct of maritime operations.
MPAC can transport limited number of personnel and equipment at a high speed of 40 knots and can be deployed to areas during emergencies to deliver the much-needed services to far-flung areas around the country.
Cacayan said the coastal town of Pantukan was chosen as the ideal site for their exercise because of its proximity to the NFEM headquarters in Panacan, Davao City.
"Compostela Valley is also one of the provinces, which has not been visited by the Navy before so we have chosen that area to let the local residents know that they have a Navy that can help them in their quest for peace and development in their area," Cacayan said.
An American mining firm is also set to operate in the mountainous area of Pantukan this year fuelling speculations that the military exercise could be a show of force to assure the American company of the security of their operations in the area.
Militant organizations also claimed that American military personnel are involved in the naval exercise. Commodore Cacayan denied this though saying that the exercise was initially scheduled in 2010 but due to their numerous activities they moved it to January 27, 2011.
Lt. Gen. Arthur Tabaquero, chief of the AFP Eastern Mindanao Command, meanwhile congratulated the Philippine Navy for their exemplary show of wares and skills.
"It's the best exercise I have seen for many years. A clear manifestation that the Navy and the Marines can secure use anytime of the day," Tabaquero said.
Businessman and 705th Squadron Naval Reserve Command Capt. Marfenio Tan also expressed satisfaction on the capability of the Philippine Navy. He said they will also be conducting another exercise in General Santos dubbed as "Exercise Sikat."
Sunstar, Wednesday, 26 January 2011
The Naval Forces Eastern Mindanao (NFEM) Command will conduct a Fleet-Marine Exercise this week to enhance their troop capability.
Dubbed as "Exercise Pagsisikap 2011", in an opening ceremony Tuesday at Naval Station Felix Apolinario Panacan, this city, Commodore Philip L. Cacayan, Commander of NFEM, said the exercise has been conceptualized to enhance the fleet-marine amphibious capability of NFEM in support to the internal security operations of Eastern Mindanao Command.
Cacayan said the exercise aims to test and evaluate the "interoperability of fleet and marine units" with other services operating in a maritime environment against enemy threats.
Cacayan added that the exercise would also show people that the navy is capable enough and ready to serve the public in their best way.
Major General Rustico Guerrero, Commandant of Philippine Marine Corps (PMC), also assured the public in doing their best in training its men, as keeping their capabilities and abilities to provide security on the community.
Guerrero said as part of the contribution of the PMC, the corps will also establish a Warfighting and Lessons Learned Center this year, which will analyze all after battle and operation reports accumulated throughout its service.
Cacayan said the exercise will be compose of staff exercise, series of at sea serials, tactical maneuvers, maritime surveillance exercise, visit board search and seizure of a Philippine Navy auxiliary reserve unit vessel, amphibious raid, multi-purpose assault craft capability demonstration, and fleet-marine review.
"We have different scenario in our exercise in which dito masusubukan kung ano yung reaction ng ating mga sundalo, sailors, and marines," Guerrero said.
MANILA, Philippines—The Marine officer who succumbed to a heart attack after a physical fitness test last week will be given a hero’s burial, the Navy announced.
Lt. Col. Leonard Vincent Teodoro, 42, assistant chief for operations of the Marine Corps Staff (MC3), will be laid to rest at the Libingan ng mga Bayani in Fort Bonifacio on Jan. 11, according to Navy spokesperson Capt. Giovanni Bacordo, “as befits the service and sacrifice he had rendered to the country.”
As previous commanding officer of Marine Battalion Landing Team-7 based in Basilan, Teodoro led his men in successful operations against the Abu Sayyaf and other lawless groups, neutralizing some of their leaders.
Teodoro graduated from the Philippine Military Academy in 1989. He died on Jan. 5 after suffering cardiac arrest following a physical fitness test which consisted of push-ups, sit-ups and a 3.2-kilometer run at Camp Aguinaldo.
He passed the test, a requisite for promotion to the rank of colonel, and was walking to his car after talking with some colleagues when he collapsed.
He suffered a sudden cardiac death, said Capt. Vicente Villa, officer in charge of the Camp Aguinaldo Station Hospital emergency room.
The Armed Forces of the Philippines spokesperson said the AFP would review its physical exam policy following Teodoro’s death.
Teodoro’s remains lie at the BNS Mortuary at the Fort Bonifacio Naval Station in Taguig City.
Teodoro and his wife, Lee Angelique, had two children, Louie Andrea, 13, and Adrian Vincent, 11.
The Navy leadership has tapped a combat-tested senior officer to head the Naval Forces Western Mindanao (NFWM) where Abu Sayyaf terrorists and rogue elements of the secessionist Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) are known to be operating.
Military Western Mindanao Command (Wesmincom) chief Lt. Gen. Ben Dolorfino said that Commodore Orwen Cortez was designated as acting commander of the NFWM, which has jurisdiction over naval operations in the provinces of Sulu, Basilan and Tawi-Tawi and Zamboanga Peninsula.
Dolorfino said Cortez, a member of the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) Class of 1979, formally took over the NFWM last Nov. 4. Cortez was the erstwhile commander of the Naval Forces Western Command.
Cortez was known for leading his forces in assaulting Matanggue Island in Balabac, Palawan in August of 2009 when lawless elements of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF), led by Abdullah Abdurajak, alias Pa Guro, staged atrocities against civilians in the area.
The Navy operations led to the killing of at least 10 MNLF rebels, including Abdurajak.
The NFWM was originally assigned to Rear Adm. Feliciano Angue but was recalled after the disgruntled Navy officer publicly criticized alleged “prostitution” of the military promotions system. He was subsequently put under investigation and was held on a floating status pending the result of the Navy probe.
The NFWM was subsequently taken over by 1st Marine Brigade Commander Brig. Gen. Eugenio Clemen on a concurrent capacity.
Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) spokesman Brig. Gen. Jose Mabanta Jr. said Cortez was tapped by the Navy leadership in an acting capacity.
Meanwhile, Dolorfino is formally retiring from the military service last Wednesday but his replacement as Wesmincom chief has yet to be announced.
AFP Chief of Staff Gen. Ricardo David Jr. earlier had said the military’s Board of Generals has already convened for its recommended shortlist.
David said the post is up for grabs for Navy, Marines and Army officers.
Earlier, military sources feared that an Army officer might be appointed to the post following the pull out of the 1st Marine Brigade from Basilan and replaced by elements of the Army’s Special Operations Command.
BAYOMBONG, Nueva Vizcaya, Philippines – Amid the inclement weather, the 60-man “Amianan Recovery” team composed of sailors and Marines from the Navy finally reached Divilacan town, one of the three typhoon Juan-devastated Pacific coast towns of Isabela being prioritized for relief and rehabilitation efforts.
The said team aboard the BRP Dagupan City or LC 551 logistical support vessel brought along with them the equipment needed to conduct road clearing, create communication lines and conduct needed engineering assistance for the typhoon-hit coastal areas.
The task group was activated in the aftermath of typhoon Juan to alleviate the plight of residents who were heavily affected in the province, to help in road clearing, and to undertake other engineering assistance,” said Navy Col. Ariel Caculitan, acting director of the Naval Affairs Office.
The mission team, which also brought along with them 66 tons of relief goods, consists of 60-man rescue as well as medical, engineering and communication experts.
Besides Divilacan, the mission is also set to conduct relief and rehabilitation activities in the coastal towns of Palanan and Maconacon, whose power and communication facilities have yet to be normalized since typhoon Juan lashed through the province two weeks ago.
The typhoon, the worst to hit Isabela and the rest of the region in recent years, also brought severe damage to the towns’ road networks as well as school and residential buildings.
After a 10-day setback due to heavy rains, the relief mission finally arrived over the weekend at Aubarede Point in Divilacan town, instead of the usual landing in Palanan town.
The said rains had earlier caused the members of the mission to wait it out at Port Irene, Santa Ana, Cagayan, until the weather relatively cleared up.
Members of the elite Special Action Force (SAF) and Mobile Group of the Philippine National Police have been dispatched in Isabela and Cagayan to assist families displaced and affected by floodings caused by heavy rains in the area.
PNP spokesman Senior Superintendent Agrimero Cruz Jr. said SAF and Police MG were deployed to help families, who were forced to vacate their houses and live along the national road in Baggao, Amulung, Alcala, Iguig, Apad and Tuguegarao in Cagayan.
Over the weekend, Cruz said 500 barangays in 45 municipalities in six provinces in Cagayan Valley Region (Region 2), Central Luzon and Cordillera Region were affected by continuous heavy downpour.
More families affected
Cruz said the total number of families affected has increased from 67,459 families or 250,865 persons to 106,923 families or 417,318 persons.
Reports reaching Camp Crame showed authorities in the affected areas are checking the effect of the floodings to road sections and six bridges in Cagayan, Isabela, Quirino, Aurora and Apayao.
The collapsed portion of Mt. Musimos in Lubuagan, Kalinga resulted in an embankment and has impounded large volume of water.
Relatedly, agricultural damage caused by the massive flooding in Northern Luzon has exceeded P316 million, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said yesterday.
NDRRMC said as of 6 a.m. yesterday, agricultural losses in Cagayan region totaled P313.75 million, representing 30,092 hectares of palay and corn. On the other hand, damage to agriculture in Central Luzon hit P2.44 million and covered 78 hectares of rice, vegetable, fruit trees, and fishery.
Based on these statistics, agricultural losses posted by regions affected by the flood totaled about P316.19 million
NDRRMC said the death toll stayed at 13, majority of them killed in a landslide. Ten of these fatalities were from Cagayan, two from Central Luzon and one from Cordillera. Two people from Aurora province were injured while two others from Cagayan region are missing.
NDRRMC said the number of affected families has risen to 106,923 or 417,318 persons. Of these, 2,517 families or 11,763 persons were brought inside 69 evacuation centers. NDRRMC Executive Director Benito Ramos said people are starting to return to their residents as the flood waters are starting to subside.
The floods damaged 46 houses located in parts of Aurora, Cagayan, and Apayao. – With Cecille Suerte Felipe, Helen Flores
CLARK FREEPORT, Philippines – The Navy wants to procure multi-role vessels (MRVs) similar to one that sailed through turbulent waters to deliver relief goods to residents of Pangasinan and Isabela isolated by rains during typhoon “Juan.”
Col. Ariel Caculitan, acting Navy public affairs chief, said these vessels will enhance the Navy’s security efforts and boost its capability in performing disaster and calamity-related missions.
An MRV can also serve as a floating government humanitarian center during times of calamity, he added.
Caculitan said the vessel can be a platform for medical treatment of calamity victims in isolated areas.
“It can also accommodate a host of activities of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and non-government organizations for the affected communities, be a springboard for disaster response and rescue operations teams, and carry other logistic and engineering supplies and equipment that are needed in response to a humanitarian emergency anywhere in the archipelago,” he said.
During typhoon “Juan,” Caculitan said an MRV carrying Marines and Navy men surged through rough seas and reached isolated folk in Divilacan and Isabela to deliver 36 tons of food and other basic needs from the United Nations Children’s Emergency Fund and the DSWD.
“The MRV also had a 60-man rescue team, a communications team, medical team, two payloaders, trailers, and a crane used for undertaking engineering and rehabilitation of various facilities,” he said.
“The urgency of acquiring the MRV is often felt strongly during times when people’s lives and properties are in great danger,” he said.
The MRV measures 120 meters and can load up to 7,200 tons of cargo.
It can accommodate 100 crewmen and 500 passengers and travels at a speed of 12 knots.
Meanwhile, Aerotech Philippines Inc., the local counterpart of Italian aircraft manufacturer Alenia Aermacchi, has turned over to the Air Force four brand new SF-620 trainer aircraft, comprising the first batch of 18 such aircraft costing a total of P622.59 million intended to be delivered to the PAF up to April next year.
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.
