After days of intense search and rescue operations, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) announced Tuesday that it has changed its priority to massive relief and rehabilitation efforts in areas that were devastated by recent typhoons.
General Gilbert Gapay, AFP Chief, said all available sea, air, and land assets were mobilized for the transport of tons of relief goods, construction materials for families whose houses were destroyed, and heavy engineering equipment for storm-devastated areas.
Relatedly, the Philippine Navy (PN) sent off the landing dock, BRP Tarlac (LD601), for humanitarian assistance and disaster response (HADR) mission to Catanduanes in Region 5 which was battered by super typhoon “Rolly” earlier this month and typhoon “Ulysses” last week.
Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana oversaw the send off of BRP Tarlac which carried around 255 tons of assorted relief goods and construction materials from different government agencies, non-government organizations, and private individuals at Pier 15 in South Harbor, Manila.
The BRP Tarlac was skippered by Navy Captain Norman Mutia while personnel from the Sealift Amphibious Force of the Philippine Fleet boarded the landing dock to serve as primary forces.
BP Tarlac also carried heavy equipment, trucks and trailers from the Naval Combat Engineering Brigade and Marine Battalion Landing Team (MBLT) 9 for clearing operations.
The Philippine Air Force (PAF) also mobilized its personnel and several military trucks to send relief items to Cagayan in Region 2.
Members of the PAF’s Air Defense Command (ADC), Air Logistics Command (ALC), 710th Special Operations Wing (710 SPOW), and Tactical Operations Wing in Northern Luzon (TOWNOL) transported food packs, potable water, clothes, and construction materials among others for thousands of families affected by massive flooding in the province. (Martin A. Sadongdong)
