Military units ordered to list equipment needs for disaster response

MANILA, Philippines - Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin on Thursday ordered field commanders to  submit a list of equipment they need for disaster response so these can become part of the government’s shopping list.

Gazmin said the list would be forwarded to headquarters and the Defense department for procurement so that soldiers could respond to disasters promptly and appropriately,

"Prepare to assist our people during calamities. As first responders, we must be able to appropriately respond and help our people," he said during his visit to the Armed Forces Northern Luzon Command (NOLCOM) headquarters in Tarlac.

Gazmin is doing rounds in different camps to check the preparedness of troops in responding to disasters during the rainy season.

The military has been acquiring equipment including aircraft and water vessels to improve its disaster preparedness and response capabilities. Among the assets to be acquired for disaster response include two C-130 planes, UH-1 helicopters and strategic sealift vessels.

NOLCOM chief Lt. Gen. Felicito Virgilio Trinidad Jr. assured Gazmin that his troops are ready to help people in times of disasters.

"There is a dedicated unit per area in NOLCOM to assist our people. Our units are in close coordination with our civilian counterparts for quick and appropriate response. The system is working and was tested during typhoon ‘Glenda,’" Trinidad said.

"Our focus is not only disaster response but preparations of our troops in collaboration with communities before a calamity strikes," he added.

Glenda battered the country two weeks ago, leaving about 100 persons dead.

Earlier, then NOLCOM chief and now Armed Forces chief Gen. Gregorio Pio Catapang Jr. directed military commanders in central and northern Luzon to designate an area inside camps as evacuation center.