The Japanese government has boosted the Philippine military’s disaster response capability by donating more than P46 million worth of humanitarian assistance and disaster response (HADR) equipment.
Japanese forces are currently involved in military training with joint US and Filipino Marines under Exercise Kamandag, which is being held in various locations around the Philippines.
The HADR equipment were turned over to the Philippine Army at Fort Bonifacio on Wednesday by Japanese Ambassador Kazuhiko Koshikawa, and were received by Department of National Defense (DND) Secretary Delfin N. Lorenzana.
Department of National Defense spokesman Arsenio “Popong” Andolong said the donated equipment, include life boats and vests, chainsaws, digging tools, lighting apparatus with generators and other search and rescue equipment.
“While we pray that nothing will require their use in the near future, we are comforted by the fact that our Armed Forces is better-equipped to respond to our people’s call for help in any eventuality,” Lorenzana said during the ceremony.
The defense secretary thanked Japan over the latest assistance.
Tokyo has been a key security partner and ally of Manila, with the two countries working together in training and Japan assisting the military in its equipment needs.
Japan has donated maritime patrol planes to the military for its patrol and has been joining Balikatan, the biggest interoperability exercise involving US and Filipino troops.
Andolong said the HADR equipment would be turned over to the Army’s 51st Engineering Brigade, the unit tasked as the standby disaster response unit in Metro Manila and neighboring areas.
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