Wednesday, February 29, 2012

AFP Conducts Camp-Wide Earthquake Drill

CAMP GENERAL EMILIO AGUINALDO, Quezon City – Following the recent earthquake that hit the central part of the country, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) will conduct a camp-wide earthquake drill within the General Headquarters tomorrow to test anew its preparedness in responding to an earthquake disaster.



The earthquake drill scenario envisions a 7.2 magnitude earthquake striking Metro Manila causing widespread devastation in the national Capital Region and greatly damaging Camp Aguinaldo. The activity will be composed of the static display of Disaster Response Operations (DRO) capability including the equipment of the Philippine Army (PA), Philippine Air Force (PAF), Philippine Navy (PN), National Development Support Command (NADESCOM) and AFP Reserve Command; and the actual conduct of the earthquake drill.

During the drill, the GHQ and Headquarters Support Command to be augmented by Search and Rescue (SAR) teams from the PA, NADESCOM and 505th PAF Search and Rescue Group will conduct a simulated search and rescue activity.


The AFP Command Center will lead the simulated establishing of command-and-control over subordinate units by setting up an emergency command post (ECP). The National Capital Region Command (NCRCOM) will also establish an ECP to simulate the monitoring of DRO in the NCR. The Bureau of Fire Protection will perform Hazardous Material Handling drill with other government agencies also performing DRO capability demonstration. The Department of National Defense Office of the Civil Defense will be providing the evaluators during the actual drill.


The vulnerability of the Philippines to earthquakes being geographically situated in the so-called “Pacific Ring of Fire” was again brought to fore with the 5.6 magnitude earthquake that hit the Samar Islands last February 4 followed by a more powerful 6.9 tremor in Tayasan, Negros Oriental, which resulted to an estimated 41 casualties, 54 injured and 67 missing persons with millions worth of damaged properties.  Although the conduct of earthquake drills is a constant practice in AFP camps, these series of events prompted the AFP to further test its capability to respond to earthquake disasters.


“Our natural world has proven to be very erratic these past few years which is why it is only fitting for us to strengthen our forces and capabilities in responding to natural disasters and calamities, which might strike our country,” AFP Chief of Staff, LtGen Jessie D. Dellosa said.


“Our objective is to increase our troops’ preparedness, evaluate our response capabilities and improve coordination among the tasked units during an earthquake disaster and other natural calamities,” Dellosa added.

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Created on Wednesday, 29 February 2012 22:39
Published on Wednesday, 29 February 2012 22:39
Written by PAO, AFP
Armed Forces of the Philippines
Article Link

Pacific Angel 12-1: Strenghtening Humanitarian and Disaster Relief Capabilities


CAMP AGUINALDO - The Operation Pacific Angel 12-1 is a joint exercise venture that shall provide free services to different select local communities where Humanitarian and Disaster Relief Operations will be conducted by the United States Armed Forces (USAF) and Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) in partnership with Non-government Organizations(NGOs) and Local Government Units (LGUs) on March 5-10 2012.

The joint venture aims to conduct activities which include Humanitarian Services Outreach or Medical Mission such as Dental, Pedriatics, Optometry and Internal Medicine, Engineering   Civic Action Programs or ENCAP will provide infrastructure improvements (school repair or rehabilitation, sharing of skills on water testing, sanitation and bio-environmental engineering) to local communities in the said province. Part of the operations is Community Public Health Outreach Program that will render community education about personal hygiene, sanitation, oral health and locally-specific topics. 

Brigadier General Rolando B Tenefrancia AFP, Commander, Civil Relations Service said that "the conduct of this significant undertaking will primarily benefit the residents of the chosen local communities in Legaspi City and at the same time, this will also be a good opportunity for both the USAF and AFP as well as the NGOs and LGUs to learn from each other in enhancing their Humanitarian and Disaster Relief Operations Skills."
The activities to be conducted will be at Bigaa Elementary School, Binitayan Elementary School, Sto Domingo (ENCAP Site 3) and Brgy Lamba Day Care Center; all are in Legaspi City, Albay. These schools will undergo repair, renovation, development and repair of their water system.
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Created on Monday, 27 February 2012 15:12
Published on Monday, 27 February 2012 15:12
Written by CRSAFP
Armed Force of the Philippines
Article Link

New task force chief vows to protect unit's gains


THE new chief of Task Force Davao (TFD) vowed to protect the gains of the nine-year-old anti-terrorist unit and work from there.
Army Colonel Marcos Norman Flores, during Tuesday’s turnover ceremony at the TFD headquarters, vowed to continue the programs that his predecessor, Colonel Rey Leonardo Guerrero, has started.
"Hindi po natin pababayaang basta na lang mapunta sa wala (We will not allow the gains to just go down the drain)," Flores said, referring to the outstanding job of Guerrero.
"I know there are a lot challenges and I vow to confront them head-on in making Davao City terrorist-free," Flores said.
"TFD's accomplishments under my watch may be less compared with other TFD commanders but this a product of diligence and hard work and may the new TFD chief continue to pursue them relentlessly," said Guerrero.
"I leave Davao City with a promise fulfilled. I may be in Davao Oriental but I will be guarding Davao City and the Island Garden City of Samal from the other end of the Davao Gulf. I will also be leaving a capable unit, competent men and women," Guerrero added, who led TFD helm since August 2010.
He owed his performance to the drive and work ethics of Major General Jorge V. Segovia, chief of the Army's 10th Infantry Division.
Guerrero recognized the TFD troops, who are mostly non-regular Army personnel, for enduring the heat, rain, dust and smog, and scorn of irate motorists just to keep Davao City and Samal terrorist-free.
He also thanked partners in the local government, business sector and media partners for their support.
Guerrero urged the men and women of TFD to accord Flores the same support given him during his more than one and a half year as TFD chief.
It is the third time that Flores and Guerrero were involved in turnover ceremonies -- the two others were when Flores replaced Guerrero as commander of the Army's 6th Infantry Battalion in Negros Oriental and Chief of Staff of the 3rd Infantry Division in Jamindan, Capiz.
As the 8th TFD chief aims to excel in assuming the post from a predecessor who was given a high score by Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio, Flores vowed to enhance the security system that TFD has been implementing.
"We will be active in calamity response and include risk reduction management in improving the capability of TFD, aside from anti-terrorism," Flores said.
The top man of the Army's 10th ID, meanwhile, lauded TFD under Guerrero's watch.
"It is now a regular part of Davao City's landscape and a source of pride for the 10th ID. Jagger (Col. Guerrero) is a humble officer who refuses to brag about his accomplishments," said Segovia, who is guest speaker in Tuesday's turnover ceremony.
"The loss of Davao City is a gain for Davao Oriental," Segovia said referring to Guerrero's assignment as commander of the Army's 701st Infantry Brigade based in Mati City, Davao Oriental.
He said Guerrero's reassignment has long been overdue.
Meanwhile, Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio thanked Guerrero for his dedication.
Dutert-Carpio also thanked Segovia for the 10th ID's support to the City Government of Davao.
She also lauded men and women of TFD for their efforts in doing their job of safeguarding the peace and serenity of Davao City.
With Flores as the new TFD head, Duterte said she expects excellence. "We do not have to remind you always the reason why TFD was created."
TFD was created in 2003 by virtue of an Executive Order with the explicit function to prevent terrorist attacks similar to the Davao International Airport and Sasa wharf bombings in March and April of the same year, respectively that killed 38 people and injured several others.
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Wednesday, February 29, 2012
SunStar.Com.Ph


NPAs burn cargo trucks in Agusan


BUTUAN CITY, Philippines – Suspected New People's Army (NPA) rebels burned two cargo trucks in Purok 3, Barangay Katipunan, Bayugan City in Agusan del Sur Monday noon.

A report of the Bayugan City police to Caraga police regional information office stated that the vehicles were traveling from Barangay Anislagan to Bayugan City, when their drivers were forced to pull over by the NPA rebels at Barangay Marcelina.
The communist rebels then poured gasoline on the hoods of the vehicles and lighted them. The suspects fled after the incident.        
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The Philippine Star
February 29, 2012 12:00 AM

NPAs raid Tarlac construction site


CAMP OLIVAS, Pampanga ,Philippines  – At least 30 suspected New People’s Army (NPA) rebels raided a construction site along the Tarlac-Pangasinan-La-Union-Expressway in Tarlac City on Sunday and torched several heavy equipment, police said.

Senior Superintendent Alfredo Corpus, Tarlac police director, said the armed men, wearing fatigue uniforms, swooped down on the site of RD Policarpio Construction located in Barangay San Manuel, Tarlac City and burned three backhoes, a crane and a grader.              
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The Philippine Star 
February 28, 2012 12:00 AM

Tuesday, February 28, 2012

DFA: No to joint development with China


The joint development of areas in the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea) that “are clearly ours is not a viable solution” to our problem with China, according to Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario.
As for the potentially resource-rich Spratlys group of islands, the Philippines is “open to considering joint development in the disputed areas,” Del Rosario told the Philippine Daily Inquirer Sunday.
Del Rosario said that during his meeting last week with Wang Yingfan and Wang Chungui, two former Chinese ambassadors to the Philippines who were here on a goodwill visit, he “reiterated our position that we are open to inviting China in the Recto Bank as an investor to be governed by [our] laws.”
The Recto Bank (Reed Bank), he pointed out, was an “integral part of the Philippines and, as such, cannot be jointly developed.”
“To do so would be in violation of our Constitution,” he said.
The Recto Bank had drawn China’s interest several months ago when the Philippine Air Force discovered several Chinese vessels in its vicinity.
Other option
As another option, Del Rosario said “we again asked if China would join us in availing of the dispute settlement mechanism under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea,” or Unclos.
He said he told his guests the government was “endeavoring to look at all means to arrive at a peaceful solution of the disputes in the West Philippine Sea in accordance with international law, specifically Unclos.”
Apart from China’s suggestion that the Philippines revisit the concept of joint development of the Spratlys, the two sides also discussed “how both nations are advancing our bilateral agenda while treating contentious issues separately, and the view that we should not accept all that appear in the press as being factual,” Del Rosario said.
According to the secretary, the retired ambassadors were “very appreciative (they) came to enhance our friendship and cooperation.”
Earlier, he told this paper that “their visit serves to put substance in the initiative (of China and the Philippines) on friendly visits.”
During President Benigno Aquino III’s state visit to Beijing last August, both sides declared 2012 and 2013 the “Years of Friendly Exchanges” between the two Asian neighbors.
Set aside quarrel
On Wednesday, Wang Yingfan told a media forum organized by the Chinese Embassy that the Philippine government should consider the “Deng Xiaoping Solution” to the Spratlys dispute, that is, setting aside the territorial quarrel in favor of a joint exploration and development of the disputed waters.
Wang, who served in Manila from 1988 to 1990, stressed “it is time for cooperation, not confrontation, not fighting.”
He said he had “talked with some important people in your government that we should work hard to find ways that are acceptable to both sides, that we must work hard to prepare the ground so that we could share the resources together.”
According to Wang, the response he got “was very encouraging. They said they would consider this kind of thinking. So with patience, with goodwill and with hard work, we could find a way out that’s agreeable and acceptable to both sides.    ”
Wang also advised Filipinos to “spend your energy on economic development.”
He said it would be some time before the two Spratlys claimants could find a solution to the dispute.
Wang also warned the Philippines against bringing the United States into the equation, saying this would be unacceptable to China which would “certainly react” if that happened.
Wang stressed that allowing the US to meddle in the six-nation Spratlys conflict was another story. “That would make the issue more complicated and more difficult to settle among ourselves,” he said.
The Philippines and China claim all or part of the Spratlys along with Vietnam, Taiwan, Malaysia and Brunei.
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2:29 am | Monday, February 27th, 2012

Conflict looms in South China Sea oil rush


Reuters - When Lieutenant-General Juancho Sabban received an urgent phone call from an oil company saying two Chinese vessels were threatening to ram their survey ship, the Philippine commander's message was clear: don't move, we will come to the rescue.
Within hours, a Philippine surveillance plane, patrol ships and light attack aircraft arrived in the disputed area of Reed Bank in the South China Sea. By then the Chinese boats had left after chasing away the survey ship, Veritas Voyager, hired by U.K.-based Forum Energy Plc (FEP.L).
But the tension had become so great Forum Energy chief Ray Apostol wanted to halt two months of work in the area.
"They were so close to finishing their work. I told them to stay and finish the job," Sabban, who heads the Western Command of the Philippine Armed Forces, told Reuters at his headquarters in Puerto Princesa on Palawan island.
Over the next few days, President Benigno Aquino would call an emergency cabinet meeting, file a formal protest with China, and send his defense secretary and armed forces chief to the Western Command in a show of strength.
The March 2011 incident is considered a turning point for the Aquino administration. The president hardened his stance on sovereignty rights, sought closer ties with Washington and has quickened efforts to modernise its military.
A year later, Forum Energy is planning to return. Top company executives told Reuters the company intends to sail to Reed Bank within months to drill the area's first well for oil and natural gas in decades, an event that could spark a military crisis for Aquino if China responds more aggressively.
The U.S. military has also signalled its return to the area, with war games scheduled in March with the Philippine navy near Reed Bank that China is bound to view as provocative.
"This will be a litmus test of where China stands on the South China Sea issue," said Ian Storey, a fellow at the Singapore Institute of Southeast Asian Studies. "They could adopt the same tactics as they did last year and harass the drilling vessels, or they might even take a stronger line against them and send in warships."
A decades-old territorial squabble over the South China Sea is entering a new and more contentious chapter, as claimant nations search deeper into disputed waters for energy supplies while building up their navies and military alliances with other nations, particularly with the United States.
Reed Bank, claimed by both China and the Philippines, is just one of several possible flashpoints in the South China Sea that could force Washington to intervene in defense of its Southeast Asian allies.
OBAMA PIVOT
U.S. President Barack Obama has sought to reassure regional allies that Washington would serve as a counterbalance to a newly assertive China, part of his campaign to "pivot" U.S. foreign policy more intensely on Asia after a decade of war in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Obama brought up the South China Sea at an Asia-Pacific summit in Bali last November, and had a surprise one-one-one with Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao on the subject, although Beijing had insisted the issue should not be on the agenda at all.
"As Southeast Asian nations run to the U.S. for assistance, Beijing increasingly fears that America aims to encircle China militarily and diplomatically," said Stephanie Kleine-Ahlbrandt, Northeast Asia Director for the International Crisis Group. "Underlying all of these concerns is the potential that discoveries of oil and natural gas beneath the disputed sections of the South China Sea could fuel conflict."
The area is thought to hold vast untapped reserves of oil and natural gas that could potentially place China, the Philippines, Vietnam and other claimant nations alongside the likes of Saudi Arabia, Russia and Qatar.
Manila is beefing up its tiny and outdated naval fleet and military bases, adding at least two Hamilton-class cutters this year and earmarking millions of dollars to expand its Ulugan Bay naval base in Palawan.
It's no match for China's fleet, the largest in Asia, which boasts 62 submarines, 13 destroyers and 65 frigates, according to the International Institute for Strategic Studies.
China last month launched the fourth of its new 071 amphibious landing ships that are designed to quickly insert troops to trouble spots, disputed islands, for example.
The U.S. Navy has announced it will deploy its own new amphibious assault vessels, the Littoral Combat Ships, to the "maritime crossroads" of the Asia-Pacific theater, stationing them in Singapore and perhaps the Philippines.
Washington's renewed presence in the Philippines, a former U.S. colony that voted to remove American naval and air bases 20 years ago, follows the U.S. announcement last year of plans to set up a Marine base in northern Australia and possibly station warships in Singapore.
Manila is talking about giving Washington more access to its ports and airfields to re-fuel and service U.S. warships and planes. The two countries will conduct war games off Palawan island in late March -- focusing on how to deal with a takeover of an oil rig in the South China Sea.
'SOUNDS OF CANNONS'
China has warned oil companies not to explore in the disputed South China Sea, over which Beijing says it has "indisputable sovereignty". Chinese ships have repeatedly harassed vessels that have tried.
After ExxonMobil (XOM.N) discovered hydrocarbons off the coast of Danang in central Vietnam, an area also claimed by China, one of China's most popular newspapers warned in October that nations involved in territorial disputes should "mentally prepare for the sounds of cannons" if they remain at loggerheads with Beijing.
Despite the threats, the Philippines and Vietnam have continued to explore for oil and natural gas further offshore in the South China waters, driven by persistently high oil prices and more advanced deepsea technology.
The Philippines has reported as many as 12 incidents of Chinese vessels intruding into its sovereign waters in the past year, an unusually high number, Sabban said.
In one of the most serious incidents last October, a Philippine navy ship seized Chinese fishing boats after colliding with one of them, prompting protests from China for their return.
At least 12 Chinese fishermen have been arrested over the past year. Half of them remain in detention in Palawan.
"China has no right to tell us that we should first ask for permission from them to explore the area," Sabban said. "We have explored that area back in the 1970s, so why can't we explore it now? We knew that there is a substantial deposit of natural gas even before all of these things started."
Manila says Reed Bank, about 80 nautical miles west of Palawan island at the southwestern end of the Philippine archipelago, is within the country's 200-nautical mile exclusive economic zone. Beijing, however, believes it is part of the Spratlys, a group of 250 uninhabitable islets spread over 165,000 square miles, claimed entirely by China, Taiwan and Vietnam and in part by Malaysia, Brunei and the Philippines.
While China prefers to solve the disputes one-on-one with its smaller Southeast Asian neighbour, Washington has sought to internationalize the issue, given that half the world's merchant fleet tonnage sails across the sea and around these islets each year, carrying $5 trillion worth of trade.
"If we don't develop our positions in our exclusive economic zone, then we will only be giving it away and will be at the losing end," Eugenio Bito-Onon, the mayor of Kalayaan islands in the Spratlys, told Reuters at a coffee shop in Puerto Princesa.
China's oil exploration has been limited in the South China Sea with less than 15 deep sea wells drilled so far. Chinese offshore oil and gas specialist CNOOC Ltd (0883.HK), along with international partners Canada's Husky Energy (HSE.TO) and U.S. company Chevron Corp. (CVX.N), plan to step up exploration in the area but focus mainly in the north, staying away from the politically sensitive waters to the south.
Estimates for proven and undiscovered oil reserves in the South China Sea range from 28 billion to as high as 213 billion barrels of oil, the U.S. Energy Information Administration said in a March 2008 report. That would be equivalent to more than 60 years of current Chinese demand, under the most optimistic outlook, and surpass every country's proven oil reserves except Saudi Arabia and Venezuela, according to the BP Statistical Review.
OIL MANDATE
General Sabban said the necessary patrol ships and surveillance planes will be provided to protect Forum Energy's exploration vessels in Reed Bank.
"We have a mandate to protect all oil companies exploring in our territory," he said. "We don't exactly escort them, but we are in the area to deter any outside force from harassing them."
Forum Energy, whose majority shareholder is the Philippines' top miner Philex Mining Corp. (PX.PS), plans to spend around $80 million through 2013 to explore the Sampaguita gas field in Reed Bank, covered by Service Contract 72.
The field is estimated to hold at least 3.4 trillion cubic feet of natural gas, with the potential for five times that amount. That is at least 25 percent bigger than the nearby Malampaya gas field, operated by Royal Dutch Shell (RDSa.L), which fuels half of the power needs for the country's main island of Luzon.
The Philippines is eager to further increase its natural gas production to meet growing domestic demand for gas-fired power, which is estimated to surge to 5,000 megawatts per day in 2016, from the current 2,700 megawatts.
"There is no question that there is gas there. We already know one or two locations we would like to drill on," said Apostol, Forum Energy's president, in an interview. "If the first drill is a bonanza, there might be a need to drill back to back."
The company said it is closely coordinating its Reed Bank plans with the military and the energy department, hoping to send drill ships by the fourth quarter.
"We are aware of the implementation risks that have to be taken into account when we contract the drilling services," said Forum Energy's executive director Carlo Pablo. "We have to have plans in case of delays in operations, on mitigating cost overruns, and contractual penalties that may be imposed."
A flotilla of ships could soon follow Forum Energy in disputed waters, with Manila later this year awarding two offshore oil and gas exploration contracts in territory also claimed by China.
That could well keep the phones busy for Sabban and his sailors at Western Command for some time to come.
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Reporting by Randy Fabi in Puerto Princesa and Manuel Mogato in Manila; 
Editing by Bill Tarrant
PUERTO PRINCESA, Philippines | Tue Feb 28, 2012 8:00am IST
INSIGHT - Reuters.com

Philippine Air Force joins Sarangani relief operation

PHILIPPINE AIR FORCE JOINS SARANGANI RELIEF OPERATION :: ALABEL, Sarangani (February 27, 2012) - A Huey helicopter of Philippine Air Force lands on an open field in barangay Datal Anggas as it airlifted relief goods and government officials during a relief operation Saturday, February 25, organized by the Sarangani Congressional District Office in cooperation with the municipal local government of Alabel, Philippine Air Force and 73rd Infantry Battalion. Datal Anggas is a hinterland village inhabited mostly by the Blaan indigenous people. 


Bianca Evangelio/SARANGANI CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT OFFICE
Image Link

Glan host to 2012 joint RP-US naval exercise

GLAN, Sarangani (February 27, 2012) — The next joint RP Navy-US Navy exercise of the Naval Forces Eastern Mindanao (NFEM) will be held here on June 28-July 9, this year.

Codenamed “Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT) Exercise 2012,” the two-week activity aims to strengthen the relationship of both navies and enhance their mutual co-operation, said Navy Lt. Joseph Armand Sieras, NFEM operations officer.

For its Civil Military Operations (CMO), CARAT 2012 will conduct Medical Civic Action Program (MEDCAP), Dental Civic Action Program (DENCAP), Engineering Civic Action Program (ENCAP) and Community Relations (COMREL) in selected barangays.

“Through these programs we hope to improve the quality of life and the general health and welfare of local residents, including government employees, and enable both navies to build a more personal relationship with them,” Sieras told Mayor Victor James B. Yap, Sr. in a briefing.

Assisted by local government personnel, a joint survey team, led by US Navy Captain Wally Lovely, visited several possible sites for the CMO activities, including Glan Central Elementary School and Glan School of Arts and Trades.

The team later met with Gov. Migs Dominguez and Mayor Yap for the formal acceptance rites held aboard the RPS Miguel Malvar at the Glan Wharf.

In brief remarks, Mayor Yap thanked the NFEM for choosing Glan as this year’s venue for CARAT, saying the event would help highlight the town’s growing importance, both from economic and strategic standpoints.

“People following up the developments on television will be able to see our beautiful white sand beaches, our rich vegetation, and the hospitality and gaiety of our people. That would be a big boost to our own tourism development efforts,” he said.

Dubbed "Coconut Queen of the South", this colonial town is home to the now famous Gumasa beaches. -----------------------------------------

GLAN INFO AND NEWS SERVICE
02/27/2012
Provincial Government of Saranggani, Philippines

AFP Adopts POL Austerity Measures


CAMP GENERAL EMILIO AGUINALDO, Quezon City – In view of the increase in current world oil prices, the Armed Forces of the Philippines’ (AFP) will exercise prudence and adopt austerity measures in the utilization of Petroleum, Oil and Lubricant (POL) products.
The AFP Chief, LtGen Jessie D. Dellosa through the Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Logistics, J4 has recently issued a directive to all Commanders of AFP Major Services, Unified Commands, General Headquarters and AFP Wide Service Support Units (AFPWSSUs) to observe strict measures in the consumption of POL as it is one of the critical items of supply in the AFP. This is also to minimize its impact in the accomplishment of the organization’s mission.
By order of the AFP Chief of Staff, all units and offices must strictly observe the following procedures: priority of POL issuance shall be in the implementation of the Internal Peace and Security Plan (IPSP) Bayanihan; Non-essential movement of vehicles shall be avoided; and Units and offices must observe the “carpool” scheme to save on fuel requirements and expenses.
Furthermore, periodic preventive maintenance schedule of all vehicles shall be strictly observed to ensure its roadworthiness; and whenever possible, all units and offices must avoid or minimize the use of POL high consuming vehicles.
But even before this directive, the AFP has been doing conservation measures in the utilization of POL. Units and offices of the AFP have been submitting a monthly oil consumption report to make sure POL transactions are transparent and monitored. The implementation of “no decal, no POL issuance policy is also being practiced as well as the use of Coconut Methyl Esther (CME) blended-diesel fuel. There is also a measure which excludes vehicles prohibited to travel based on MMDA coding scheme from issuance of POL.
“There’s no denying of the continuous increase of oil price in the global perspective, so for AFP’s part, I have directed all personnel, units and offices to strictly adhere to the austerity measures rooted out from the utilization and usage of POL. This is our way of expressing our oneness with the nation in doing all possible means in saving and conserving our resources,” Dellosa said.
“We assure that this will not affect the performance of our major responsibilities and mission. Our operational and administrative activities anchored with the implementation of the IPSP Bayanihan’s principles will continue,” Dellosa added.
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Written by PAO, AFP
Created on Tuesday, 28 February 2012 11:30
Published on Tuesday, 28 February 2012 11:30
Armed Forces of the Philippines
Article Link

Army to conduct symposium on security awareness to high school students


CABARROGUIS, Quirino, Feb. 27 (PIA) -- To enlighten the youth about the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army-National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF), the 502nd Infantry (Liberator) Brigade, 5ID, Philippine Army has proposed the conduct of a symposium on security awareness in all secondary schools of the province.

Col. Reynaldo H. Labanen of the Philippine Army said the theme of the symposium is “Information is the Best Weapon Against Deception,” and they have conceptualized it to instill the value of nationalism among the youth and to prevent their eventual recruitment to the CPP-NPA-NDF.

Col. Labanen said a symposium schedule for each school per municipality has been prepared but they have yet to coordinate with the different secondary school principals to determine the final schedule.
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TCB-PIA 2
By Thelma C. Bicarme
Monday 27th of February 2012

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