Soldiers question 'inhumane' treatment

MANILA, Philippines - Soldiers undergoing retraining at Camp Aguinaldo as a prerequisite for their continued employment in the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) are reportedly being treated inhumanely, sources said yesterday.

According to insiders, all enlisted personnel – from private to master sergeant – are required to undergo retraining every three years, and failure to do so means automatic discharge from the service.

However, one soldier said the AFP has implemented a new re-enlistment program this year. The previous programs only required soldiers to report daily for classroom lectures and regular military exercises.

The new program requires soldiers to stay in the camp trainee barracks, which lacks double-decker beds. Sources said the soldiers are forced to sleep on pieces of cardboard on the floor.

During the three-week retraining, each soldier is also charged P70 each day for their meals, automatically deducted from their P90 daily subsistence allowance, another insider said. A source said the food served the soldiers is of poor quality.

“Someone is profiting from this. It is sad that other soldiers earn off other soldiers,” the source said, adding that AFP chief Gen. Jessie Dellosa is apparently unaware of the alleged scam.

Other sources said it is awkward to see junior enlisted personnel acting as training instructors to more senior soldiers during the retraining, administered by the AFP Headquarters and Headquarters Support Service.     

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Jaime Laude | The Philippine Star | September 18, 2012| Article Link

Army repels Abu Sayyaf attack

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines - Abu Sayyaf militants attacked a military detachment in Sumisip town, Basilan but were repelled by government troops, a military official said.

The Abu Sayyaf militants led by Kumander Botong Aleman fired on the army detachment Monday about 9:20 a.m. at Barangay Candiis, triggering heavy exchange of firepower.

Capt. Alberto Caber, public affairs chief of the 1st Infantry Division (ID), said troops from the 64th Infantry Battalion and the Special Forces Team 1405 retaliated and repelled the militants.

He said the troops also unleashed rounds of mortar fire toward the position of the Abu Sayyaf group prompting the attacking militants to retreat in the deep forest.

Caber said no one was killed on the government troops' side during the attack.

“The soldiers have successfully defended the camp, which had been subjected to attacks for five times already by the Abu Sayyaf group,” Caber said.

Major Gen. Ricardo Rainier Cruz III, 1st ID chief, commended the troops in defending the detachment and ordered the soldiers to continue its Bayanihan works in Sumisip, Basilan to defeat the scourge of terrorism spawned by the Abu sayyaf group.

“The successful defense of the detachment by our foot soldiers is a pledge that our army is sincere and not tired in protecting the mixed Muslim-Christian community against rogue elements in Basilan.”

Caber said the attack revealed plans of the Abu Sayyaf group to regain possession of the area where the detachment was established.

“Evidently, the location served as the former militants’ observation post to provide them great tactical advantage in the area against government troops,” Caber said.

The military troops overrun the area in an offensive against the Abu Sayyaf and the lost command Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) late last year after intelligence information revealed the group used the area as their planning and staging point against the civilians and military forces. 

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Roel Pareño | The Philippine Star | September 18, 2012 | Article Link

US sailors warn to learn karaoke from Filipino counterparts

GENERAL SANTOS CITY, Philippines—Filipino soldiers are eager to learn new combat techniques from their American counterparts and experience the use of state-of-the-art equipment during the nine-day Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (Carat) 2012 here, but what do US forces want to learn in return?

“To learn karaoke,” said Capt. Dave Welch, commander of the US Navy’s Destroyer Squadron 31 based in Pearl Harbor.

Welch told the Inquirer aboard the USS Vandergrift at the Makar Port here Wednesday that he and his men wish to go out with Filipino soldiers for karaoke before the exercises end on July 10.

“That’s a certain thing that we need help in,” he said.

Welch said some American soldiers might turn out to be “excellent musicians.”

“We usually put them in our bands but I myself, for example, I am not skilled in karaoke,” he said.

Welch said he and his men can use all the help they can get to become skilled in karaoke singing.

Philippine Navy Capt. Robert Empedrad, Carat 2012 exercise director, said they were willing to teach their American counterparts the tricks of karaoke singing.

“If you’re in the navy, you love singing. That’s one way of entertaining your comrades. 

There’s no problem. We can impart to them our skills on that,” he said.

Welch said it was up to Filipino sailors to learn what they could from US forces during the nine-day exercise.

Empedrad said Filipino soldiers can learn a lot too from their American counterparts in the conduct of warfare.

In fact, on Friday, they will participate in a live fire drill with US sailors in  waters off Sarangani province.

“Our ships are already old but what’s important is we will learn a lot from them,” Empedrad said.

Welch described Filipino sailors and members of the Philippine Coast Guard as very professional.

There are around 450 personnel from the Philippine Navy and Philippine Coast Guard participating in the Carat 2012. The US Navy and Coast Guard sent  about 500 personnel.

The exercises training include  in-port training, subject matter expertise exchanges, ceremonies and interactions; diving and salvage training at General Santos Bay, Sarangani; and medical/dental/ engineering civic action projects and community relations activities in different locations in General Santos City and Glan in Sarangani.

Commodore Philip Cacayan of the Eastern Mindanao Naval Forces said their American counterparts have installed sophisticated radios in their vessels to address communication gaps.

He reiterated that the exercise has nothing to do with the territorial dispute with China over the Scarborough Shoal.

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Jeoffrey Maitem | Inquirer Mindanao | July 5, 2012 | Article Link

PH-US exercises: Glaring gap between 2 navies

GENERAL SANTOS CITY, Philippines - “Iyan ang pangarap natin. Magkaroon man lang sana tayo niyan.” (That is our dream. We wish we'd own one like that.)

Navy Commander Lued Lincuna said this with a sense of resignation as his patrol boat approached USS Vandegrift past noon Sunday, July 1, at the mouth of Sarangani Bay, some 20 nautical miles off General Santos City.

The US frigate is not even in the list of the US Navy's top-of-the-line warships. “Over 25 nautical miles (per hour),” was all Commodore David Welch would volunteer to say when we asked about its maximum speed.

Welch is Task Group 73.1 commander of the US Navy that is participating in the ongoing 2012 CARAT exercises in this city. CARAT stands for Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training, an 18-year joint military exercise and training between the US and its allies in Southeast Asia.

USS Vandegrift is a versatile vessel capable of navigating international waters and behind hostile territories. It's armed with torpedoes and is also designed for anti-submarine warfare. It can stay afloat for weeks on end without refueling. Most of all, it can eavesdrop anywhere in the world with its sophisticated listening and surveillance devices. Stationed in San Diego, California, it can be deployed anywhere in the world at a moment's notice.

Docked side by side at Makar Wharf with USS Vandegrift is the US Coast Guard cutter USCGC Waesche. Commissioned in 2006, USS Waesche is the flagship of the US Coast Guard and its most modern vessel.

(Members of the local press here were only allowed limited tour on USS Vandergrift, commissioned in 1984, and were not brought to USCGC Waesche.)

Lincuna recalled the time when the Philippine Navy was known as one of the best in Asia.

“The Philippine Navy had its glory days in [the late 1960s and] 1970s (before Martial was declared),” Lincuna said as his fast attack craft BRP Salvador Abcede made a traditional welcome pass around Vandegrift.

CARAT 2012. Mere exercises? PHOTO by Edwin Espejo

The Philippine Navy however has deteriorated over the years.

According to global intelligence, “Philippine warships are armed entirely with mounted machine guns and deck guns, the largest of which is 3" (76mm)...The Fleet lacks missile-armed ships, greatly limiting range and effectiveness against enemy warships and aircraft. Even antisubmarine (ASW) weapons like depth charges are absent on all or almost all of the Philippine warships. The Philippine Fleet also lacks its own submarines, not to mention aircraft carriers.”

The Philippine Navy was supposed to be the major beneficiary of the P331-billion (US$ 8 billion) 15-year modernization program of the Armed Forces of the Philippines that was crafted in 1995. The program never took off until recently when the Navy acquired BRP Gregorio del Pilar, and before that BRP Ramon Alcaraz, under the Excess Defense Articles and the 1961 Foreign Assistance Act of US government.

In May this year, the Philippine Navy issued its own wish list for the modernization of its fleet. It includes 6 frigates configured for anti-air warfare, 12 corvettes designed for anti-submarine warfare, 18 Offshore Patrol Vessels (OVs), 3 submarines, 3 Mine Counter Measure Vessels (MCMVs), 4 Strategic Sealift Vessels (SSVs), 18 Landing Craft Utility (LCU) among others.

CARAT 2012. Mere exercises? PHOTO by Edwin Espejo

The Navy's biggest ship right now is the refurbished BRP Gregorio del Pilar.

BRP Gregorio del Pilar was formerly USCGC Hamilton (WHEC-715), built in 1965 but decommissioned by the US Coast Guard in the same year it was transferred to the Philippine Navy.

Commodore Philip Cacayan, commander of the Philippine Navy’s Naval Forces Eastern Mindanao command, said what the navy lacked in equipment and armaments, they make up with their resilience.

He is confident that the Philippine Navy would eventually catch up with its neighbors in Southeast Asia.

Even its ground forces – the Philippine Marines – are still equipped with Vietnam War-era M-16 riffles.

CARAT 2012. Mere exercises? PHOTO by Edwin Espejo

Side by side with some 50 US Marine troops during a riverine exercise, the Philippine Marines and Philippine coast guards can only wish they will someday be issued the M4 version of the Armalite rifles that is currently the standard issue in the US military.

From the combat boots to caps and uniforms to the minutest of combat gear, the Filipino soldier is his US counterpart’s poor cousin.

And each time these exercises are held, the Philippine Navy is reminded that it has a long way to go before it can call its forces a naval fleet. 

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Edwin Espejo | Rappler.Com | July 5, 2012 | Article Link

US ship diverted to Manila Bay to search for missing PAF plane

GENERAL SANTOS CITY – United States (US) salvage ship, USS Safeguard, has been diverted from Mindanao to Manila to conduct search and salvage operations in the mouth of Manila Bay for a missing Philippine Air Force (PAF) trainer plane.

USS Safeguard (T-ARS 50) is one of the US vessels scheduled to participate in this year’s joint Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT) 2012 in Mindanao Sea for nine days starting Monday.

“One of our ships, USS Safeguard will conduct the actual salvage operations within Manila Bay area for the PAF missing plane,” said US CARAT commander Rear Admiral Thomas Carney.

The Singapore-based Carney is the commander of the logistics command of the United States (US) 7th Fleet.

Carny was referring to the PAF SF260 trainer plane that plunged along with its two pilots into the mouth of Manila Bay while on a routine proficiency training flight several weeks an hour after taking off from the Sangley Point Naval Base in Cavite City.

To date, combined efforts of the Air Force and Navy search teams to locate the ill—fated trainer plane, as well as its missing, pilot and co-pilot, have yielded negative results.

Underwater robots used to sweep the seabed of Manila Bay have failed to locate the missing plane, which fishermen saw plumeting into the sea near an island in Mariveles, Bataan.

“In this year’s CARAT, we are not only conducting joint Naval and Maritime training exercises, but actual search and salvage operations for the missing PAF plane,” Carney, in an exclusive interview, said.

Carney said that on board the US Salvage ship, equipped with high underwater detection capabilities, are 25 US navy divers and 70 highly-trained personnel in rescue and salvage operations even in the high seas.

The US salvage vessel, along with USS Vandergrift (FF-G-48) and US Coast Guard ship, USCG Waesche (WMSL-751, is in the country to participate in the CARAT 2012 in the Mindanao Sea which Filipino and US officials launched here yesterday.

On the Philippine Navy side, it is deploying BRP Magat Salamat (PS20), BRP Miguel Malvar (PS-19), BRP Salvador Abcede (PG114) BRP Iloilo and BRP Teotimo Figuracion (PG 389) and BRP Tagbanua, a navy logistic ship, while the PCG is deploying the BRP Pampanga for this year’s CARAT within the Mindanao sea.

Aside from the latest addition of minesweeping and naval insertion operations in this year’s joint training exercise, the naval activities also include search and salvage operations.

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Jaime Laude | The Philippine Star | July 2, 2012 | Article Link

Philippines: US warship makes port call ahead of navy excercises

GENERAL SANTOS CITY – US frigate ship USS Vandergrift arrived here Sunday afternoon and dropped anchor at the Makar port as some 500 American troops prepare for a 72-hour joint naval exercise with the Philippine Navy and coast guards.

Commodore Dave Welsch and the crew of the USS Vandergrift were met by Commodore Marfin Tan (res) and Capt. Robert Empedrad of the Philippine Navy in arrival honors that were dampened by heavy downpour.

Welsch is commanding general of Task Group 73.1 of the US Navy.

Commodore Dave Welsch is welcomed by Commodore Marfin Tan (Res) and Capt. Robert Empedrad (PN) upon arrival of USS Vandergrift at the Makar Wharf.FOTO BY COCOY SEXCION

Commodore Philip Cacayan, head of the Naval Forces Eastern Mindanao of the Philippine Navy,  early in the week said US troop movement inland will be restricted and confined to civic military operations.  He said requests for media to board the ships while on exercise will have to be assessed.

Several squads of US Army Special Forces however are already in the city to hold joint military exercises with the Philippine Marines.

The two other US ships expected to participate in the activities failed to join USS Vandergrift.

Sources said US Coast Guard ship USCG Waesche will arrive later in time for the exercise while USNS Safeguard, earlier reported to also join the naval activities here, will instead conduct rescue and salvage training in Manila.

Outside Makar Wharf, some 40 militants belonging to the Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) shouted slogans and waved their banners to protest the exercise dubbed Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT) 21012.

In a press statement, Bayan spokesperson Ryan Lariba said the exercise only proves increasing US military intervention in the country.

Patrol Boat BRP Salvador Abcede skipper Cmdr Lued Lincuna however said the joint exercise will enable the Philippine Navy and Philippine Coast Guard to upgrade their tactical capabilities considering that the US Navy have far more advance tactics in naval maneuver and warfare .

Cmdr Lincuna told journalists who boarded the Philippine Navy patrol boat in meeting USS Vandergrift at the mouth of Sarangani Bay just off the coast of Maasim that the exercise will be held in the “Mindanao sea” and will be out of sight of residents around the bay.

“It will also involve live fire exercises,” Lincuna said.  Participating Philippine Navy ships are equipped with 20-mm anti-aircraft guns and caliber .50 heavy machine guns.

The BRP Gregorio del Pilar, recently acquired from the US Coast Guard, is the biggest naval asset of the Philippine Navy.  It has an Mk.75 Oto Melara 76 mm Compact main gun, two Mk.38 M242 Bushmaster 25 mm chain gun at midships.  It will not be joining CARAT 2012, however.

USS Vandergrift is a Perry-class frigate and is capable of storing and launching guided missiles.   It has an Mk 75 76mm/62 caliber rapid firing gun and MK 32 ASW torpedo tubes (two triple mounts).  It also houses two Seahawk helicopters and has a crew of 17 officers and 160 enlisted men.

The Philippines will send a 450-man contingent from the Philippine Navy and Philippine Coast Guard to the exercise.

The Philippine contingent will be coming fresh from a taxing rescue operations in Sarangani Bay involving scores of fishermen who were drifted away by a strong storm surge last June 12.

Three fishermen are still missing while the death toll have reportedly risen to at least five other people.

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Edwin Espejo | Asian Correspondent | July 1, 2012 | Article Link

Philippine, US naval exercises slated in Mindanao Sea

Manila (Philippine Daily Inquirer/ANN) - The Philippine Navy and United States Navy, including the local and US Coast Guards, will conduct an annual combined exercise to ¿enhance interoperability and share best practices¿ for a week in Mindanao Sea in July.

The Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training will be held on July 2 to 10 at the Naval Forces Eastern Mindanao area with at-sea activities in the vicinity of Mindanao Sea said Navy spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Omar Tonsay.

The exercise includes in-port training, subject matter expertise exchanges, diving and salvage training at General Santos Bay, Sarangani; and medical, dental, engineering civic action projects and community relations activities in different locations in General Santos City and Glan, Sarangani Province.

The exercise will involve the US Navy and Coast Guard, Philippine Navy and Philippine Coast Guard surface, air, and special operations units in the conduct of shore-based cross training exercises, diving exercise, salvage exercise, air operations exercise, and at-sea fleet training exercises, search and rescue exercise, as well as friendly sports competitions in volleyball and basketball.

The exercise will also test the personnel and naval assets, operational readiness and ultimately, improve the naval defense capability of the Armed Forces of the Philippines by an exchange of doctrinal and tactical best practices, Tonsay added.

Carat will be participated in by Barko ng Republika ng Pilipinas (BRP) Magat Salamat (PS20), BRP Miguel Malvar (PS19), BRP Salvador Abcede (PG114), and BRP Teotimo Figuracion (PG389) for the PN; the USS Vandergrift (FFG48) and USNS Safeguard (T-ARS 50) for the USN; BRP Pampanga (SARV 003) for the PCG; and the USCG WAESCHE (WMSL751) for the USCG.

The PN will also employ one (1) PN Islander (PNI 320) while the USN will provide a P3C Orion and a SH-60B helicopter together with a BO-105CB helicopter from PCG. Likewise, the exercise will involve around 400 personnel from the PN, 350 from the USN, 50 from the PCG, and 150 from the USCG.

Carat, which started in 1995, is a yearly combined exercise conducted at different Naval Forces areas of operations on rotation basis.

Tonsay said the venues have been determined a year in advance and are finalised following confirmation from both navies.

Last year, the exercise was conducted in Sulu Sea area east of Palawan under the Naval Forces West.

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Frances Mangosing | Philippine Daily Inquirer/Asia News Network/Yahoo News Online | 

June 29, 2012 | Article Link

AFP admits planning lapses in first year of Bayanihan

The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) has admitted that several operational lapses it committed last year have overshadowed significant gains achieved, especially in Mindanao, during the first year of implementation of the military’s internal peace and security plan (IPSP) Bayanihan.

In its assessment of IPSP Bayanihan, the AFP leadership cited the operational blunders in 2011, like the attacks by the communist New People’s Army (NPA) in Surigao del Norte, in Al Barka, Basilan, in Sulu and in Zamboanga Sibugay.

“The AFP is a big organization, and mistakes still happen. While significant gains were achieved by AFP troops in Mindanao, it is unfortunate that such gains were overshadowed by lapses in joint planning of combat operations resulting in blunders like (the attacks in) Taganito Mining in Surigao del Norte; Patikul, Sulu; Al-Barka, Basilan and in Zamboanga Sibugay,” the AFP stated in its assessment paper.

It will be recalled that last October, some 200 NPA rebels raided three mining compounds in Barangay Taganito in Claver, Surigao del Norte, burning P2- billion worth of mining equipment.

This was followed by the Oct. 18 bungled operation in Al-Barka, Basilan that led to the killing of 19 Special Forces personnel, including four junior officers, who were sent to serve warrants of arrest against Dan Laksaw Asnawi, commander of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and Abu Sayyaf leader Long Malat.

Days later, at least eight police and military troops were killed during separate ambushes staged by MILF rebels in Alicia town, Zamboanga Sibugay province.

Three months earlier, seven Marines were killed in a clash with Abu Sayyaf bandits in Patikul, Sulu.

The military, however, claimed that it made headway in its campaign against the Abu Sayyaf and cited arrangements with the MILF, particularly the Ad Hoc Joint Action Group, aimed at preventing hostilities.

The AFP acknowledged that operational lapses were among the challenges faced by the military during the first year of implementation of the IPSP Bayanihan, which was officially launched in January 2011. It was designed to defeat insurgency by 2016.

The AFP also admitted the need to improve its civil military operations and other humanitarian activities, in coordination with other government agencies, to continue making headway in its fight to end insurgency and armed conflict in the country.

The military called on the government peace panel negotiating peace with the communist organization, and the civilian sector to exert “social pressure” to bring the National Democratic Front (NDF) back to the negotiating table. It also pushed for the resumption and sustenance of the social integration program (SIP) to entice rebels to give up fight against government.

“The suspension of the SIP has brought negative consequences in terms of convincing more rebels to return to the folds of the law,” the AFP said. 

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Mario J. Mallari | The Daily Tribune | June 3, 2012 | Article Link

Military modernization ‘nothing to do with Panatag standoff’

THE aggressive modernization of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) has nothing to do with the tension over the Panatag Shoal off West Philippine Sea, Malacanang said on Saturday.

In an interview over radio dzRb, deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said that even before the face-off between the Philippines and Chinese vessels in Panatag Shoal, the Aquino administration has been giving priority in the modernization of the country's military.

"It has nothing to do with any incident or with any particular claim that we have. It’s something that we really must do in order to assure that we have a minimum credible defense," she said.

She noted that even during President Benigno Aquino III's State of the Nation Address (Sona) and in his other speeches, he was consistent in stressing the need for the AFP to modernize its equipment in order to guard the entire archipelago and the country's long coastlines.

"We have always been of the position that we need to upgrade our defense capabilities, our equipment. Nobody will argue that there is much more to be desired when it comes to the equipment that we have," she added.

"It has nothing to do with the standoff in Bajo de Masinloc; it has nothing to do with West Philippine Sea. But this is something that we really have to do at the very least," she stressed.

Bajo de Masinloc is the country's other name for the Panatag Shoal, internationally known as Scarborough Shoal.

The tension over the Panatag Shoal started in April 10, and up to now, Manila and Beijing have not yet resolved the issue. The two countries are both claiming sovereignty over the area, believed to be rich in mineral and oil deposits.

Aquino earlier said the government is planning to buy two new squadrons for the Philippine Air Force and another Hamilton class cutter from the United States is expected to be delivered in the country before the end of the year.

Valte assured that assistance will be extended to the Filipino fishermen who are being affected by the fishing ban in the waters surrounding the Panatag Shoal.

As the tension continues, the Philippines and China unilaterally declared fishing ban on the area.

Valte said the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources is assisting the affected fishermen to fish in other areas.

Meanwhile, as to the sector affected by the stringent measures that China has been imposing on Philippine agricultural products such as bananas, Valte said the government has been looking for other markets.

"To our banana growers, one assistance that we're doing is to look for other markets for them while the phytosanitary and regulatory issues are now being threshed out by the DA (Department of Agriculture) team that will go to China, if I'm not mistaken, next week," she said.

Amid the standoff, China implemented stringent measures on Philippine bananas.

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SunStar.Com.Ph | May 19, 2012 | Article Link      

Hybrid battalions in the works for AFP

MANILA, Philippines—The military looks to have “hybrid” battalions in the future, as a pilot case combining reservists and militiamen with regular soldiers in an Army battalion has worked out well.

 

The Army’s reclassified 24th Infantry Battalion under the 7th Infantry Division has passed the Army’s technical evaluation with flying colors after a year in operation.

Lieutenant Colonel Michael Samson, commander of the military’s first “territorial battalion,” said the successful pilot test might mean the setup would be replicated in other units.

“We hope that since the first-ever territorial battalion gained positive evaluation from our technical working group, this undertaking by the Armed Forces of the Philippines will be expanded to other peaceful and development-ready areas like Zambales,” Samson said.

The 24IB was reclassified last May 1, 2011, as a territorial battalion to integrate reservists and Cafgu [Citizens’ Armed Forces Geographical Units] active auxiliary (CAA) paramilitary troops, whose task is to conduct civil military operations (CMO) and other support missions.

Aside from the regular soldiers, Samson’s battalion has 16 reservist officers, 121 reservist enlisted personnel and 334 CAA personnel who all come from the area.

Evaluators from the Army headquarters in Fort Bonifacio found that the fusion of reservists and CAA personnel to the regular members of the 24IB has increased the number of effective CMO activities in the area.

CMO activities refer to community services including disaster rescue and relief operations.

The added manpower, meanwhile, allowed soldiers in the active service to conduct “focused and deliberate combat operations” against insurgents and other armed groups.

The Army has turned to reservists and paramilitary troops as “force multiplier” due to the deficiency in the number of ground troops.

Launched on December 20, 2010, the concept of integrating Army reserve and active components in selected units was seen as a solution to “low personnel fill-up.”

The setup is said to be the brainchild of Army chief Lieutenant General Emmanuel Bautista when he was still the AFP deputy chief of staff for operations (J3).

AFP Chief of Staff General Jessie Dellosa recently directed the AFP Reserve Command to give priority to the development of reservists as territorial forces.

He said community-based military reservists serve as the backbone of first responders during calamities.

“I hope that this success can be replicated in other battalions in every part of the country,” Dellosa said in a statement.

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Dona Z. Pazzibugan | Philippine Daily Inquirer | May 6, 2012 | Article Link

Philippine and US Military Learn From Japan’s Disaster Response

CAMP AGUINALDO, QUEZON CITY— The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the United States Armed Forces USAF) were able to see the perspective of the Japan Self-Defence Force’s (JSDF) Disaster and Response Operations (DRO) when the 9.0-magnitude earthquake hit Eastern Japan, March last year.

This was during yesterday’s Balikatan Exercise 2012 (BK12) Senior Leader’s Seminar SLS) on Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Response (HADR) at the Tejeros Hall of the AFP Commissioned Officers Club. The seminar is the first of its kind which pump primed the Command Post Exercise (CPX) that started today at Camp Aguinaldo. The table top exercise will simulate different natural disaster and calamity scenarios which will test and improve the planning, preparations, program of action and responses of both Philippine and US military.

Captain Yuzo Shibata of JSDF shared yesterday the general immediate response of their military during natural disasters. “In my country, when disaster strikes, the local governors in each respective prefectures are to issue the JSDF aid request to local military unit. Upon receiving the request, the unit will either conduct DR Ops or pass the word to the other units, other branches, depending on the scale of the disaster. In case if the communication tools are all down and the situations are obviously critical, the commanders of the local units are expected to conduct DR Ops by their own judgment,” Shibata said.

Japan is said to be the most prepared country for an earthquake or a tsunami but the March 2011 disaster proved that even the most prepared is not safe from the terrible effects of natural calamities. Following the Nuclear Power Plant threat in Fukushima, JSDF conducted aerial and ground water spraying, search and rescue operations within contaminated areas, and screenings after the entry to contaminated areas. Shibata said that during the crisis, JSDF “never imagined doing these operations before.”

Foreseeing future challenges, Capt Shibata finally recommended for the review of the Disaster Relief Operations Plan, and Crisis Management Postures by cooperating with relevant organizations.

The SLS is a venue in the BK12 that allows senior level discussions on HADR lessons, processes, and functions that will enhance local and international humanitarian risk reduction/mitigation and response mechanisms. Accordingly, foreign partners discussed their experiences and mechanisms in terms of HADR.

Different representatives from local and foreign agencies with vast experience and knowledge on the conduct of HADR attended yesterday’s seminar. USEC Benito Ramos, Executive Director of the National Disaster Risk Reduction Management Center presented the Philippine Disaster Response System; MGen Romeo V Calizo, Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations, discussed AFP’s Role on HADR; and Dir Edgardo Ollet (MNSA), Chief of the Operations Center of the Civil Defense Office, discussed the Philippine HADR Experience.

Also, Col Timothy C Frantz of the US 3rd Marine Division discussed Operation Tomodachi, US Armed Forces’ assistance program to Japan following 2011’s earthquake and tsunami. He was joined by LTC Stuart Graham who will discuss the Australian Defence Force’s Disaster Response Relief programs.

Todd Bosse, Senior Geospatial Info Analyst of the Pacific Disaster Center (PDC) talked about the facilities, programs and other going-ons of the PDC. Also present were Col James Reilly USMC, Chief of Staff of the USMARFORPAC; and Col Rafael Valencia, Chief of the ARMO, Philippine Army who acted as moderators of the Panel Discussions.

AFP Chief of Staff General Jessie D Dellosa said that the SLS in the Balikatan 2012 aims to strengthen and enhance internal Philippine HADR processes through collaborative dialogue. “The different approaches employed by other countries in HADR will surely help us widen our perspective and improve our policies, procedures, preparations, and responses in the emergence of natural calamities and man-made disasters in the Philippines,” Gen Dellosa said.

“We thank the participants for sharing to us their experiences by which we can derive lessons and best practices for the improvement of our own HADR policies and responses. Having shared also our expertise in HADR, we hope that collective and collaborative efforts will continue for the benefit of the people we serve,” Gen Dellosa added.

Balikatan 2012 is the 28th of the series that sprung from decades of friendship and mutual assistance between the Philippines and the United States. The main focus of this year’s exercises is Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Response. The activity seeks to identify gaps and solutions from previous disaster situations that will be addressed through discussions with representatives from foreign disaster response systems. 

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Armed Forces of the Philippines | April 17, 2012 | Article Link

3 communist rebels die in Quezon clash

MANILA, Philippines -- Three New People's Army guerrillas were killed in a clash
with government troops in San Francisco, Quezon Thursday noon, an Army spokesman said.

Col. Generoso Bolina, spokesman of the Southern Luzon Command, said a squad from the 74th Infantry Battalion clashed with six rebels under a certain Ka Jun in Barangay Butanguiad.

He said the troops were responding to a call for help from residents who said the rebels were allegedly threatening personnel of the Department of Agrarian Reform’s Quezon provincial office to prevent them from conducting a dialogue with farmers.

The soldiers also seized two M16 rifles, a caliber .38 revolver, a hand grenade and a Claymore mine.

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Abigail Kwok | InterAksyon.com | April 12, 2012 | Article Link

Aquino assures war veterans of better health services; vows AFP modernization

PILAR, Bataan—President Benigno Aquino III assured Filipino war veterans of subsidized health services and vowed to continue the  modernization of the Armed Forces in Monday’s Araw ng Kagitingan (Day of Valor) rites that paid tribute to Filipino and American soldiers who fought the Japanese 70 years ago.

Mr. Aquino, who addressed the elderly soldiers and their relatives gathered at the Dambana ng Kagitingan entirely in Filipino, got thunderous applause when he announced that from March 31, 599 hospitals had been accredited by Veterans Memorial Medical Center (VMMC) as regional and provincial extensions, making it easy for the veterans to access medical benefits.

“The state honors our veterans and I believe we should repay their sacrifices by caring for them,” he said.

Colonel Roberto Gacayan, 85, a war veteran from La Union province, urged Mr. Aquino and legislators not to ignore the plight of the war veterans.

“It seems that the government has been slowly forgetting what we did during the war. We hope that our benefits will be increased … We will not live long and we hope that in the remaining years of our lives, we get to feel our true worth,” Gacayan, who heads the Confederation of World War II Veterans’ Sons and Daughters Inc., said.

“If it had not been for our sacrifices, the youth will not experience the freedom they are enjoying today,” he said.

Veterans’ welfare

According to Mr. Aquino, VMMC has been subsidizing services for cataract surgery, coronary angiogram procedure and cardiac bypass operations.

The President again drew applause when he cited the direct remittance servicing system of the Philippine Veterans Affairs Office (PVAO), which is done through the banks or automated teller machines. This has enabled war veterans to receive their pensions faster and in correct amounts, he said.

The veterans’ list has also been purged, enabling government to generate savings that are used to support more pensioners, he said.

Ernesto Carolina, the PVAO administrator, said the House committee on veterans affairs had approved an increase in the old-age pension from P5,000 to P10,000, with an increase of P1,000 a year for the next five years.

A bill is also pending in Congress seeking to increase the burial assistance from P10,000 to P20,000.

Carolina said the PVAO had paid P4 billion to eligible pensioners, with the funds coming from the savings made from the purging of illegal claimants.

He said the hospitalization benefits in PVAO-accredited hospitals had been doubled to P800 for a maximum of 45 days. The PVAO also pays for the premium of veterans’ membership in the Philippine Health Insurance Corp.

Pensions for old age, disability and death are paid to nearly 250,000 veterans, their spouses and descendants, he said.

Leslie Bassett, deputy chief of mission of the United States Embassy, said that in the past two years, more than 18,000 Filipino veterans had received a total of over $220 million from the US government’s Filipino Veterans Equity Compensation Program.

Modern military

The President told the war veterans that his administration was working to fully upgrade the capacity of the AFP.

“What we want is that should the situation turn into a conflict, we are able to give a fight,” he said in Filipino.

He then enumerated the latest purchases for the AFP: a Hamilton class cutter, renamed as BRP Gregorio del Pilar, and four combat utility helicopters.

At least 138 projects under the defense acquisition system are scheduled for completion within five years, he said.

Good governance

Mr. Aquino said these are being done because of the good governance of his administration, adding that “integrity and honor result in programs that benefit our people.”

“I know that the morale of government troops is high not only because of housing or combat allowance but also because they know that we have removed the culture of corruption in the [AFP] leadership,” he said.

Mr. Aquino began his speech with lengthy quotes from Commonwealth President Manuel Quezon and General Douglas MacArthur, the American general and commander of US forces in the Philippines and Southeast Asia.

“I am greatly concerned as well regarding all the soldiers I have called to the colors and who are now manning the firing line. I want to decide in my own mind whether there is justification in allowing all these men to be killed, when for the final outcome of the war the shedding of their blood may be wholly unnecessary,” he said, quoting Quezon.

“It is no joke being responsible for the lives of thousands, millions of your countrymen. 

President Quezon might have asked himself: What is at stake? Is the sacrifice worth it?” Mr. Aquino said.

He said he did not want the loss of lives. “This is the root of our determination to strengthen our armed forces,” he said.

“All that we have been doing now  to lay the groundwork for reforms, improve the economy and lift our brethren from poverty, come from a single thought: We owe it to those who sacrificed before us to make sure that it is worth it, very, very worth it to live free in the Philippines,” he said.

The occasion, he added, should also be a time to celebrate the strength of character of Filipinos “to fight the enemy with bravery, honor and love for country as the sharpest weapon of all.”

Mr. Aquino also praised the Philippines’ strong alliance with the United States, and confirmed the futility of violence and necessity of working with neighboring nations.

Bataan Day in the US

In her speech, Bassett said some 7,000 people in the United States, including war veterans and students in New Mexico, had joined a reenactment of the Death March yesterday to pass what she called “the torch of memory.”

“Some carried heavy packs to make the journey harder but not as hard as the cruel Calvary our heroes endured,” she said.

“Bataan commemoration takes place today across the United States … and in the many homes where veterans and their memories still dwell. On the high seas, the sailors of the USS Bataan will pause to commemorate this day, including Master Chief Noel Vergara, whose grandfather, Romeo Miranda, was a hero of Bataan,” she said.

Bassett stressed  the importance of preserving freedom that Filipino and American soldiers had fought hard to win.

“Filipino and American soldiers relied on one another to survive the Death March and what came after. Today their children and grandchildren … proudly continue that tradition of friendship and mutual support,” she said.

“Today we live in an era of technological marvel. But you cannot download freedom from the Internet or buy liberty off the shelf. The heroes of Bataan remind us not to take what we have for granted but to cherish our freedom,” she said.

Japanese Ambassador to the Philippines Toshinao Urabe, who also spoke in Filipino, extended his country’s sincerest apology and deep sense of remorse for the Japanese atrocities during World War II.

He said the Japanese of today are “a far cry” from the Japanese during the war.

Urabe said the United States, the Philippines and Japan had forged stronger ties and were now allies and friends. He stressed the importance of unity among the three countries.

“Sa pagkakaisa, tayo ay lalakas; sa pagkakawatak-watak, tayo ay babagsak (In unity, we will be strong; in   conflict, we will fall),” he said.

Aside from war veterans and their families, former President Fidel Ramos, top military and police officials, Cabinet members, local officials and diplomats attended the Araw ng Kagitingan ceremonies at Mount Samat Shrine.

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Greg Refraccion, Tonette Orejas | Inquirer Northern Luzon | April 10, 2012 | Article Link

The 'Aquaponics Soldiers' of Camp Aguinaldo

A GROUP of battle-tested soldiers could not just let go of the survival tactics they learned by practicing the benefits of “aquaponics” inside Camp Aguinaldo, the general headquarters of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) in Quezon City, where they are currently assigned.

 

They have spent half of their lives in service in countless battles in the field.

Aquaponics is a sustainable backyard food production system that combines a traditional aquaculture in tanks with hydroponics in a symbiotic environment. It consists of two main parts, with the aquaculture part for raising aquatic animals and the hydroponics part for growing plants. Aquatic effluents resulting from uneaten feed or raising animals like fish, accumulates in water due to the closed system recirculation of most aquaculture systems. The effluent-rich water becomes toxic to the aquatic animal in high concentrations but these effluents are nutrients essential for plant growth.

It’s amazing to see the creativity of soldiers from the Seventh Civil Relations Group (7th CRG), a small support unit of the AFP Civil Relations Service (CRS), led by their commander Lt. Col. Samuel Sagun.  The soldiers are able to maximize every small available space to grow vegetables and raise fish including tilapia, dalag, hito and eel in small ponds in front of their small office.

“We call it aquaponics, a combination of backyard gardening and raising cultured freshwater fish species. Although we’re still at an experimental stage, we’re already benefiting from it for our food supplement. It’s a big help, really,” Sagun said.

Sagun said the soldiers called the lovely aquaponics site in front of their office as “peace pond and garden for peace” to give emphasis to the military’s anti-insurgency campaign line “Bayanihan” or the Internal Peace and Security Program (IPSP).

How did Sagun and his men discover aquaponics? It was through Rev. Father Rocky Evangelista, the head of Don Bosco’s “Tuloy Foundation” located in Alabang, an institution that caters to the needs of abandoned street children.

“Yes, we can! These were the words of Fr. Evangelista that inspired us to start an endeavor we believed is immediately doable even without writing a project proposal for funding. Last Jan. 12, Fr. Evangelista invited us to visit their aquaponics site and we were surprised how easy it was to do. If he can do it, why not us?” Sagun said.

The Tuloy Foundation has an aquaponics system and complemented with an area for vermiculture using African Night Crawlers.

Right after that “Lakbay Aral” visit, Sagun and his men started gathering reusable and recyclable materials. Plant boxes were converted into fish ponds, which they later called “peace ponds.” Excess plastic softdrink bottles, which they used in their 2011 project “Isang Litrong Liwanag” (Solar bottle bulbs), were used as containers for plants.

While preparing to build their own aquaponics, Sagun has started to contact people for vegetable seeds.

“We don’t have a problem getting tilapia fingerlings or other freshwater fingerlings because we’ve a lot of sources,” he said.

The Asia America Initiative (AAI), an international organization helping stabilize conflict areas with their peace and development efforts, gave Sagun’s group two balikbayan boxes full of assorted vegetable seeds.

“What would we do with a lot of vegetable seeds? We distributed these seeds to soldiers and nongovernmental organizations practicing backyard gardening to as far away as Mindanao. In fact, Albert Santoli, president of AAI, has even promised during his visit here to bring one million seeds to be distributed in conflict areas,” Sagun said.

Using social media as a medium, the 7th CRG began to receive support, financial, material, moral or technology from friends and acquaintances.

Jojo Rom, a Davao-based agriculturist who believes in the democratization of agriculture, gave his insights to further improve the prototype that the 7th CRG was developing.

He also gave tips on Urban Container Gardening (UCG).

“If all households can convert their backyard or kitchen area into vegetable gardens, then the Philippines will have a surplus in food. When advocates for ecology and clean air could just help in this simple endeavor, it is a giant step for humanity,” Sagun said.

His deputy, Capt. Genesis Gabrido, is currently designing the prototypes.

“The 7th CRG hopes to develop mobile prototypes for depressed areas and relocation sites to help the people cope with the harsh realities and alleviate their economic plight,” Gabrido said.

Sagun is a member of the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) Class of 1992 while Gabrido belongs to PMA Class 2004. The tandem and their men are now slowly earning the moniker “AFP GHQ Aquaponics Soldiers” by anyone who visited and saw their resourcefulness and creativity.

In fact, CRS chief Brig. Gen. Rolando Tenefrancia has given Sagun and Gabrido the go signal to start a camp-wide advocacy on aquaponics and UCG.

“Let us start within our backyards and offices,” Tenefrancia told the soldiers.

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Zaff Solmerin | BusinessMirror.Com.Ph | April 3, 2012 | Article Link

Defense chief calls China a bully in Spratly dispute

MANILA, Philippines—Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin said China was singling out the Philippines because it has the weakest defense capability among the six nations that have laid claim to the oil-rich Spratly Islands in the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea).

In a news forum with defense reporters Tuesday, Gazmin was asked why China would protest every move made by the Philippines on its claimed territory when it does not do the same against the likes of Vietnam and Malaysia which have also built on occupied islands.

“Maybe we’re their favorite,” Gazmin said. “They see that in the region in terms of the capability of the armed forces, we are the weakest. You look at Malaysia, they have a strong armed forces. Vietnam has a strong armed forces. Brunei also has a strong armed forces.

“We are below par. So of course if you are going to bully, you would look for the weakest. You do not get someone who is your equal.”

The Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Vietnam claim portions of the Spratlys, which China claims entirely.

China’s latest protest had to do with the Philippines’ reported plan to construct a beaching ramp on Pag-asa Island, the biggest of the Philippine-occupied islands in the Spratlys collectively referred to as the Kalayaan group of islands.

Kalayaan is considered a municipality of Palawan province.

“Pag-asa is ours. We have a mayor there, we have a Philippine flag. Why do we need to ask permission from whichever country if we have to do repairs,” Gazmin asked. “If you do that, it means you doubt whether it’s yours. But that is ours. We don’t have to ask permission from anyone.”

Gazmin said the beaching ramp and other developmental projects planned on Pag-asa could not be interpreted as military construction.

“Those are not for the military. That is for commercial and tourist purposes, for our economic growth. It is not a military base although we do have a military post there. But that is not what we will expand,” he said.

He said they are concentrating on constructing a beaching ramp for now to help the island’s residents. He said it would cost about P300 million.

“We will just have to pool our resources together to be able to realize its completion,” Gazmin said.

He said after the completing the beaching ramp, they will think of how to further develop the island, saying he was misquoted in having said that they plan to develop Pag-asa Island as a tourist spot.

“We will first discuss where we’re headed,” Gazmin said, adding the island offers many opportunities once the beaching ramp is constructed and the runway repaired.

He said while other nations have developed their claimed islands into tourist spots, Pag-asa could also be a regular source of fisheries and aquatic resources.

Kalayaan Mayor Eugenio Biton-onon has said the ramp would be constructed by the Philippine Ports Authority with the help of the Philippine Navy to help their community.

He said the beaching ramp will allow “ro-ro” (roll-on roll-off) ships to beach and unload their cargo directly on the island’s shore.

Currently, people and supplies brought in by ships have to be transferred to small boats and the residents then haul in the supplies by wading in the water.

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Dona Z. Pazzibugan | Philippine Daily Inquirer | April 3, 2012 | Article Link