PAF, Navy assure disaster response readiness

CEBU, Philippines - As frontliners of every disaster response operation, the air force and navy men in the Visayas assured that they are prepared for more typhoons that are expected to come before the year ends.

During yesterday’s monthly Association of Government Information Officers-7 forum, representatives of the Philippine Air Force and the Naval Force Central said they have the capability for search and rescue operations in case of typhoons.

Joseph Ison, Public Affairs Officer of NAVFORCEN, said that apart from naval reservists, they have five disaster response teams all over Visayas.

“Your Navy in the Visayas is very much ready in terms of disaster response,” Ison said.

NAVFORCEN has one team in Tacloban, another team in Guimaras, then in Iloilo, in Mactan, Lapu-Lapu City, and the Marine Reserve Battalion at Pier 3 in Cebu City.

Aside from disaster response operations, Ison said they also help in anti-illegal fishing campaign and illegal logging.

In fact, he said, they just recently confiscated P3 million worth of sea gears used in illegal fishing locally known as “hulbot-hulbot.”

Ison said they have civilians who voluntarily work with them in their search and rescue operations even without being compensated.

The Philippine Air Force are not far behind in saving lives during disasters because they are in charge of search and rescue operation through air mobility, which is more efficient, particularly during floods.

First Lt. Sharon Reas of the PAF said they have aircrafts which were already used in evacuating residents in Talamban, Cebu City and in the evacuation of at least 400 residents in Southern Leyte during the mudslide in 2006.

Reas further said they are upgrading their operation and are training every quarter of the year considering the inconsistencies of the weather in the country.

The Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) earlier announced that more typhoons are expected to hit the country next month. – (FREEMAN)