3 US Navy ships to join PHL-US war games in Palawan

GMAnews, Monday,July 27, 2011

Three United States Navy ships are expected to take part in this year's Philippine-US "Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training" (CARAT) bilateral exercises in Palawan.

A report by radio dzBB's Palawan affiliate Monday said the three ships will be the counterparts of Philippine vessels taking part in the exercise, which starts Tuesday.The same radio report by radio dzBB's James Viernes said the ships have arrived in Palawan.But Lt. Noel Cadigal, spokesperson for the Naval Forces West, said the US vessels — guided missile destroyers USS Chung Hoon and USS Howard and USNS Safeguard, a diving and salvage ship — will be arriving Tuesday morning.Cadigal identified the two participating Philippine Navy ships as BRP Pangasinan and BRP Rizal, both patrol ships. In Viernes' report, Western Command chief Lt. Gen. Juancho Sabban reiterated that the bilateral exercises have nothing to do with the ongoing territorial row with China over the Spratly Islands.Sabban maintained that the CARAT exercises had been planned long ago, and should not be taken as a provocation of sorts, the dzBB report said.The Philippines and China, which had engaged in a word war of sorts following some incidents in the disputed area earlier this year, are two of six claimants to the Spratlys. The other claimants include Brunei, Vietnam, Taiwan, and Malaysia.Meanwhile, the Philippine Navy said its Naval Forces West and the US Pacific Fleet are all set for the CARAT 2011."The activity is part of the RP-US Defense Treaty of 1951 and is being executed every year," the Navy said in a news release posted on its website.It said the main purpose of the activity is to strengthen the ties and cooperation between the two Navies by the exchange of knowledge and skills in the field of navigation and naval operations, particularly maritime defense, port security, resource protection and disaster response.

gmanews.tv

Phl, US set maritime exercise in Palawan

Philippine Star, Monday, June 27, 2011

PUERTO PRINCESA CITY, Philippines – Philippine and United States Navy will start tomorrow the annual bilateral maritime exercise here, the state media said today.

Dubbed as Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT), the joint military exercise will be conducted at the height of the tension between the Philippines and China over the Spratlys row.

In an interview, Major Neil Anthony Estrella, spokesperson for the Western Command, said about 1,000 US sailors are expected to participate in the ashore and at-sea phases of the CARAT.

He also said that this year’s exercise promises to be meaningful and relevant for the two navies, and will further strengthen the relationship of the two countries.

He said two destroyer and one salvage ships are to be used by the United States Navy as their centerpieces for the exercise. The Philippines will utilize all the patrol ships deployed under the Naval Forces West.

Apart from the military exercise, there will also be symposia on search and rescue practices and humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operations.

CARAT is a series of bilateral military exercises between the United States Navy and the Naval Forces of Bangladesh, Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand. The exercise in Puerto Princesa City will end on July 4th.

philstar.com

By Jonjon Vicencio

Philippine Star

A military rescue team inspects houses damaged by a mudslide in Barangay Gitnang Bayan in San Mateo, Rizal yesterday. Thousands have been forced to flee their homes due to floods caused by tropical storm ‘Falcon.’

philstar.com

MVP, AFP to rescue V-L

By Francis Santiago

Manila Bulletin, Sunday, June 26, 2011

MANILA, Philippines — Despite the massive pullouts of collegiate teams, the Shakey’s V-League Season 8 second conference hostilities will push through starting July 17 featuring squads from the Armed Forces of the Philippines and corporate teams owned by business tycoon Manny V. Pangilinan.

The country’s premiere league was left with only three school-based squads – Ateneo, University of Perpetual Help and San Sebastian College – after six regular squads begged off from competition due to the players’ academic work loads.

But V-League commissioner Tony Liao said there was nothing to fret about as they have found equally competitive teams that could fill the slots for an eight-team competition.

He said the heads of three AFP volleyball teams – the Philippine Army, the Philippine Air Force and the Philippine Navy – expressed their willingness to join the league during a meeting with the organizing Sport Vision last week.

Ricky Palou, the Sports Vision president, has also convinced Maynilad Waters president Ricky Vargas to field in a team. They are also courting Meralco – also owned by MVP.

mb.com.ph