Gen. Gregorio Pio Catapang, Jr. AFP PUBLIC AFFAIRS
Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief Gen. Gregorio Pio Catapang has prepared all troops in the northern region to act as first responders as soon as Typhoon “Chedeng” makes a landfall along Aurora and Isabela provinces.
Catapang briefed the military officials and ground commanders in a command conference at Camp Aguinaldo on Saturday and ordered the general headquarters battle staff to ensure that troops were available for immediate deployment.
Catapang also said that the AFP Command had shifted focus from military operations to humanitarian assistance disaster relief operations.
He said that all units of Northern Luzon Command (Nolcom), Southern Luzon Command (Solcom), Central Command (Cencom) and Joint Task Force National Capital Region (JTF-NCR) should brace themselves for the typhoon and prepare for contingencies on the ground.
Catapang said these units had already accounted all disaster response units (DRUs), including the attached mobility assets and rescue equipment.
He also said that the DRUs had remained in touch with the provincial and municipal disaster risk reduction management councils for proper coordination.
“They have ensured there will be redundancy of communication systems just in case basic networks will be damaged and can no longer function,” Catapang said.
The AFP chief further said that strategic locations had been identified where troops may be prepositioned and still be able to render quick response when needed.
“Along with other government agencies, our troops have also identified areas prone to landslides and flooding, including those that are close to the coastlines and are at risk for possible storm surges,” Catapang said.
Attention to tourists
“Let us give equal attention to tourists, both local and foreigners who are vacationing in these areas and who may be trapped in beach resorts,” he stressed.
On Friday, Catapang inspected the 1st Air Division of the Philippine Air Force headed by Brig. Gen. John Oliviamor Estabillo AFP at Clark Air Base and where the NDRRMC-HRD warehouse was located.
During this visit, Catapang received a briefing of the unit’s disaster response preparations and got to inspect mobility assets such as rubber boats and other disaster response equipment like chainsaw, tents, generators, portalets and several others, stored at the said warehouse.
The 2nd Infantry (Jungle Fighter) Division based at Camp Capinpin in Tanay, Rizal, said it prepared and alerted two battalions who would serve as DRUs.
The two battalions are equipped with mobility requirements, medical teams and disaster relief and rescue operations (DRRO) equipment such as life rings, utility ropes, rubber boats, life jackets, chain saws and floating spine boards, among others.
The 1st DRU Battalion headed by Lt. Col. Eric Guevarra is composed of troops from headquarters service battalion and post units of the command.
On the other hand, the 2nd DRU Battalion headed by Lt. Col. Andres Ferrer is composed of troops from the 16th Infantry Battalion.
Lt. Col. Harold Cabunoc, chief of the AFP public affairs office, said that while undergoing battalion retraining program, the 16IB momentarily may shift its mission which will aid in the possible conduct of search, rescue and retrieval (SRR) operations.
Maj. Gen. Romeo Gan, commander of the 2nd Infantry Division, directed the subordinate brigades and battalions to coordinate with regional DRRMC, LGUs and other partner agencies for immediate response. RC