Philippine troops in full battle gear in Baliktan training exercises with their US counterparts in 2017. (File photo from Agence France-Presse)
MANILA, Philippines — Filipino and American troops have been training together in Palawan as part of the Pacific Partnership 2022 (PP22), the largest annual multinational humanitarian assistance and preparedness mission in the region.
One of the Philippine Air Force (PAF)’s Super Huey choppers held practical exercises such as hoist operation, helicopter rappel and deck landing aboard the USNS Mercy, a 1,000-bed US naval hospital ship, on Aug. 12 and Aug. 13 in Puerto Princesa, the PAF 505th Search and Rescue Group said.
The US Indo-Pacific Command partnered with the Western Command in Palawan to hold various activities such as seven major health fairs, two barangay city hall renovation efforts, band concerts, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief exercises and presentations, civic engineering activities, and other medical efforts including the treatment of 7,000 patients and over 200 planned surgeries, the US Navy said in a separate statement. The mission runs from Aug. 3 to Aug. 17.
Aside from the United States, the PP22 team in the Philippines includes representatives from Australia, the Republic of Korea and the United Kingdom.
“The impact of disaster emergencies transcends borders and requires comprehensive coordination among nations for an effective response,” said PP22 mission commander Capt. Hank Kim.
Western Command chief Vice Adm. Alberto Carlos said the mission would not only boost their interoperability with the United States and allies but also their capacity through disaster response training and subject matter exchanges. The local government of Palawan is also expected to be a recipient of training and capacity-building activities, he said.
Meanwhile, Australia’s support of PP22 demonstrates its commitment to “fostering enduring partnerships, trust and interoperability between nations in our region,” according to Air Vice-Marshal Kitcher.
The Philippines is the third of the seventh stop of the PP22 humanitarian cruise. It will carry out similar missions throughout Oceania and the Western Pacific.
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