Philippine Navy patrol ship aids LPA-battered towns in Davao Oriental

The Philippine Navy (PN) on Wednesday announced that one of its patrol ships, the BRP Magat Salamat (PS-20), has delivered 52 tons of assorted relief goods to low pressure area (LPA) battered towns of Cateel and Baganga in Davao Oriental.

Ensign Herlijk F. Gregorio, Naval Forces Eastern Mindanao spokesperson, said this aid was immediately forwarded to the Department of Social Welfare and Development-Davao for distribution to the affected residents.

At least 186,543 families or 895,572 persons were likewise affected by the LPA in 846 barangays in 15 provinces of Regions 10, 11, CARAGA, and ARMM.

Of the total affected, 55,501 families or 260,478 persons were displaced and served in 585 evacuation centers.

Twenty seven areas were placed under state of calamity, including Agusan Del Norte, Lanao Del Norte, Iligan City, Kapalong, Carmen, Asuncion, New Corella, and Tagum City - all in Davao Del Norte; Tarragona, Manay, Caraga, Baganga, Cateel, and Boston - all in Davao Oriental; Sta. Josefa, Sibagat, Bunawan, San Francisco, Esperanza, Veruela, Trento, and Rosario in Agusan del Sur; Butuan City; and Lianga, Tago, San Miguel, and Bislig in Surigao del Sur.


Estimated cost of damage was pegged at P369,142,178.22, with P128,513,750 to infrastructure and P240,628,428.22 to agriculture.

Article Source: PNA

Navy to commence 'Pagsasama'

MANILA, Philippines (Xinhua) - Philippine Navy forces will commence a set of training activities today, code-named Exercise Pagsasama, with reservists to hone skills in various naval operations in Eastern Mindanao, a military spokesman said.

Navy spokesman Lt. Col. Omar Tonsay said this year's Exercise Pagsasama, which will last up to Friday, will be conducted in General Santos City and Glan town in Sarangani.

"It is focused on the conduct of naval tactical maneuvers at sea; maritime surveillance exercise; search and visit; board, search and seizure; and humanitarian assistance and disaster response," said Tonsay.

Tonsay said the exercise will feature 280 Navy personnel, BRP Miguel Malvar and BRP Salvador Abcede, and an islander plane. On the Philippine Navy Affiliated Reserve Units has dedicated 127 personnel and two ships for the training.

He said the exercise is "designed the exercise to test and enhance the readiness and interoperability" of the Navy with the reserve force "to respond to the call of service in maritime security operations, inter-agency operations, humanitarian assistance, disaster response operations and other national emergencies."

Tonsay also said that the exercise will also "test the command and control" of the Naval Forces Eastern Mindanao with the reservists.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Philippine Star | June 3, 2012 | Article Link

Philippine Navy to add more vessels in Eastern Mindanao

DAVAO CITY, May 10 (PIA) -- The Philippine Navy is planning to deploy two more naval assets at the Naval Forces Eastern Mindanao (NFEM).

Captain Robert Empedrad, NFEM deputy commander said yesterday during the Club 888 media forum at Marco Polo Davao, that among the planned additional vessels includes a large patrol ship and a patrol craft.

NFEM’s area of jurisdiction covers the Eastern Mindanao area from the waters off Polloc in Maguindanao, Davao, Surigao, and up to Camiguin.

It has nine naval assets, the largest of which is the patrol ship BRP Magat Salamat (PS-20) while others are smaller but faster patrol crafts. The Magat Salamat is notable for being headed by Commander Luzviminda Camacho the first lady commanding officer of the Philippine Navy.

Empedrad said that the assets are sufficient enough to patrol the coasts of eastern Mindanao; most of the maritime problems involve piracy, poaching, illegal fishing, and human smuggling. For a year now, there has been no piracy incident reported.

Currently, they are planning to strengthen naval presence in Surigao with plans of putting up a naval detachment in Taganito, Surigao del Norte where New People’s Army guerrillas attacked several mining firms late last year.

Empedrad said that unlike areas in the West Philippine Sea where the country is embroiled in a dispute with China there are currently no border disputes between Indonesia who shares a common maritime border within the jurisdiction of NFEM.

He says that the Philippine Navy has built a good relationship with the Indonesian Navy and is conducting annual border patrol exercises under the Border Patrol Agreement signed by the two countries 36 years ago.

The first of the annual border patrol exercises was conducted last April 28 to May 3 participated by about 100 Philippine Navy personnel and the patrol ship Magat Salamat joined by the Indonesian patrol vessel KRI Sura along with 47 Indonesian Navy sailors and officers.

Aside from exercises with the Indonesian Navy, the NFEM will also be hosting the United States Navy-Philippine Navy “Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training” (CARAT) Exercise 2012 this coming June 28- July 9 in Glan, Sarangani Province. 

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Rudolf Ian G. Alama | Philippine Information Agency | May 10, 2012 | Article Link