PHL, U.S. showcase joint relief ops

In a display of international cooperation and humanitarian readiness, Philippine Secretary of National Defense Gilberto C. Teodoro Jr. and United States Ambassador to the Philippines MaryKay Carlson, alongside Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Chief of Staff General Romeo S. Brawner Jr., witnessed a joint simulation exercise for the delivery of relief supplies at Clark Air Base on Friday.

The simulation demonstrated how family food packs (FFPs) from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) are loaded and transported using US military aircraft, with the MV-22 Osprey taking center stage.

The exercise showcased the coordination between the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the US Indo-Pacific Command (USINDOPACOM) in carrying out humanitarian assistance and disaster response (HADR) operations, particularly in communities hit by heavy monsoon flooding.

“This exercise shows how we can move quickly, together, when lives are at stake,” said Ambassador Carlson, who reaffirmed the United States’ ongoing commitment to support relief operations in the Philippines.

According to USINDOPACOM, 47,000 food packs have already been delivered to flood-affected areas, including remote provinces such as Batanes.

In his remarks, Teodoro stressed the values at the heart of the decades-long Philippine-US alliance.

“Our partnership is premised on a fundamental value, the irreplaceable worth we place on every human life,” Teodoro said. “We respect each other, we respect human lives, and we are here to preserve that fundamental value.”

He also extended gratitude to the United States for its continued support.

“To our treaty partners, the United States of America, we say thank you. And this will not be the last time,” Teodoro added.

“In the spirit of multilateralism, in the spirit of our bilateral people-to-people ties, we hope this partnership will be sustained and enhanced to contribute to the greater good of humankind.”