US joins humanitarian, disaster readiness exercises in Palawan

THE United States joined Australia, South Korea, the United Kingdom and other partners to officially launch the Pacific Partnership 2022 (PP22) on Wednesday, August 3, in Puerto Princesa, Palawan.

According to the US Embassy in the Philippines, PP22 is the largest annual multilateral humanitarian assistance and disaster preparedness exercise conducted in the Indo-Pacific.

On July 27, 2022, PP22 activities began with the arrival of the USNS Mercy (T-AH 19), a 1,000-bed hospital ship commissioned in 1986 to provide medical services to support US disaster relief and humanitarian operations worldwide.

Welcoming the PP22, Puerto Princesa City Mayor Lucilo Bayron said this is “an amazing program that not only brings assistance and services, but more importantly, strengthens the bond between partner nations.”

In 1987, the USNS Mercy first docked in Palawan to conduct a training and humanitarian cruise to the Philippines and to the South Pacific, treating over 63,000 patients alongside medical personnel from the Armed Forces of the Philippines.

PP22 Mission Commander Capt. Hank Kim said the impact of disaster emergencies transcends borders and requires comprehensive coordination among nations for an effective response.

“I am confident that the planning and hard work that we have invested with our partners will have a long-lasting impact here in the Philippines,” Kim said.

US Navy Capt. Jeffrey Feinberg said growing their collective capability for disaster response is an important aspect of this mission, which elevates their ability to respond to any hazard that may come their way.

The embassy said this year’s Pacific Partnership military exercise is taking place in Palawan and includes military and civilian personnel from the Philippines and from six PP22 partner countries.

It added that they are leading several activities together to promote interoperability among forces and strengthen the Philippines’ capacity for disaster preparedness and response.

The embassy said it will also work with local medical professionals to provide treatment for 7,000 patients and conduct more than 200 surgeries.

After the Philippines, the PP22 team will conduct missions throughout Oceania and the Western Pacific, it added.