Lack of PAF aircraft shifts focus of 'Talon Vision'

CLARK FREEPORT, Pampanga – Because most of the aircraft of the Philippine Air Force (PAF) are in Mindanao, the Philippine-US “Talon Vision” exercises to be held in Central Luzon starting Oct. 16 will take on a different tack.

“It will consist mostly of civic and medical missions in towns in Tarlac and Nueva Ecija,” Lt. Col. Allan Ballesteros, spokesman of Talon Vision 2009, told The STAR.

Except for some parachuting exercises at Fort Magsaysay in Nueva Ecija, Ballesteros said other joint airborne exercises usually done during Talon Vision have been scrapped.

“Otherwise, the PAF would not have counterpart aircraft to complement the US aircraft,” he said.

Ballesteros said some of the expected 2,000 US Marine personnel have already arrived here via the Subic Bay Freeport.

“They will be based as usual at the Holiday Inn at Clark,” he said.

Meanwhile, Ballesteros said contingents from the PAF and the Philippine Marines have gone ahead to school project sites to lay the groundwork for some of the activities.   

“We expect the Americans to move in with their prefabricated materials by Oct. 15, so that by the end of Talon Vision on Oct. 28, the buildings could be turned over to the local government units,” he said.  

Ballesteros said PAF personnel will team up with the 36th US Marine Air Group to build school buildings in Barangays David and Bueno in the Tarlac towns of San Jose and Capas, respectively.

In Guimba, Nueva Ecija, joint Philippine-US Marine teams will also construct another school building.

“Big medical missions are also slated in Sta. Ignacia West in Sta. Ignacia, and Barangays Sula and Iba in San Jose, all in Tarlac. Another one will be held in Manggang Maasin in Guimba, Nueva Ecija,” Ballesteros said.