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| Photo of Jay Directo/Getty Images |
Military forces under the United States Pacific Command’s Naval Construction Battalion will conduct disaster response training in Jamindan and preventive health seminar in Tapaz, said Major Ray Tiongson, spokesperson for the Philippine Army’s 3rd Infantry Division.
The weeklong Balikatan 2015 / Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Response Exercise will start April 7, said Tiongson.
More than 300 people, including soldiers, civilians and barangay health workers from Taft, Tapaz and San Nicolas, Jamindan, are expected to participate.
Government agencies like the Philippine National Police, Bureau of Fire Protection and Capiz’s Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council are attending, too.
Tiongson emphasized that the activities will be “purely training and seminar … [that] will help us in enhance interoperability among agencies during disasters.”
Tiongson said the US chose Capiz because it was one of the areas in Western Visayas hardest hit by super typhoon “Yolanda” (international name: Haiyan) in November 2013.
Aside from the seminar and training, the US forces will also build a two-classroom school building in Barangay Taft, Tapaz.
“Construction will start this week and will be completed (and turned over) by last week of April in time for the closing of the Balikatan,” said Tiongson.
Also next month, the US Marines will have a courtesy call at the office of Iloilo governor Arthur Defensor Sr. and conduct assessments at the Iloilo Airport and the Iloilo international seaport in Barangay Loboc, La Paz, Iloilo City, he said.(PN/GLENDA SOLOGASTOA)
