PH, US armies meet on boosting disaster response planning

Lt. Gen Stephen Lanza, Commanding General, I Corps of the US Army Pacific Command and Army Lt. Gen. Hernando Iriberri during the 2nd Executive Steering Group meeting at Fort Bonifacio last June 25. PHOTO BY OFFICE OF THE ARMY CHIEF PUBLIC AFFAIRS

MANILA, Philippines—Top officials of the Philippines and United States armies met this week to further boost disaster response.

Philippine Army chief Lieutenant General Hernando Iriberri and Lt. Gen. Stephen Lanza, Commanding General of US Army Pacific Command, met on June 25 to 27 at the Army Headquarters in Fort Bonifacio for the 2nd Executive Steering Group meeting.

“They planned activities for the next Balikatan, and tackled training and subject-matter exchange in terms of humanitarian assistance and disaster response planning,” Army spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Noel Detoyato told reporters on Friday.

Both officials committed to increased planning and trainings on disaster response because of what happened during Super Typhoon Yolanda (international name: Haiyan).

Yolanda was the strongest storm to hit land in recent world history. It wreaked havoc in Eastern Visayas last November, which killed thousands and displaced millions of people there.

Detoyato said other countries are welcome to join the humanitarian assistance and disaster response exercises.