DISASTER PREPAREDNESS. Soldiers from the United States (US) and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) conduct a humanitarian assistance disaster relief training exercise at the Old Airport in Legazpi City on Thursday (Aug. 8, 2024). The training is part of the ongoing Pacific Partnership 2024, the largest annual multinational humanitarian assistance and disaster relief preparedness mission in the Indo-Pacific region. (PNA photo by Connie Calipay)
LEGAZPI CITY – Soldiers from the United States (US) and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) conducted on Thursday a humanitarian assistance disaster relief (HADR) training exercise to enhance the soldiers' urban search and rescue capability during calamities.
The exercise was conducted amid the ongoing Pacific Partnership 2024, the largest annual multinational humanitarian assistance and disaster relief preparedness mission in the Indo-Pacific region.
In an interview, Capt. Joshua Aquinde, US Hawaii Army National Guard operations officer, said more than 66 participants from the AFP, US Army, and Legazpi City disaster risk reduction personnel joined the collapsed structure and rope rescue training.
"This will teach them how to rescue anybody troubled, particularly during an earthquake. All the participants underwent the two trainings; for the rope rescue, they were trained on how to tie the knots and other rope systems, manual self-rappelling, and the mechanical advantages of rappelling," Aquinde said.
He said the soldiers learned the importance of "safety first", as well as techniques and protective ways of rescuing in times of disaster.
For the collapsed structure training, the participants were taught the lift and haul, breach and break, and split sole raker techniques. For the rope rescue, they learned the manual and mechanical ways of rescuing.
Aquinde said the training has built skills, relationships, discipline, and open-mindedness among participants, which are needed during the actual operations.
"We on the Hawaii side have our own way of doing our procedures, and the Philippines has their own way of doing it. What we do is combine our minds; if a disaster happens in our region, we're going to work together. The participants are getting the best strategies; they learned two different styles that they can use for a better response," Aquinde said.
He said the equipment used during the training was from the AFP and procured by the Pacific Partnership for the specific exercise.
Lt. Col. Ariel Galimba, AFP team chief for the HADR, said the training will provide advanced knowledge on the systems other countries are using during search and rescue.
"I think it is a very effective mechanism for us to follow; it will maximize the learning, the control, and the capacity of the local government units in responding to disasters," he said. (PNA)
