CLARK FREEPORT – Armed Forces Northern Luzon Command (Nolcom) chief Lt. Gen. Ricardo David, Jr. has activated the Nolcom Disaster Response Task Force (NDRTF) and put on alert a Disaster Response and Rescue Unit (DRRU) as a “quick reaction force” in case of emergencies related to the expected La Niña phenomenon this rainy season.
David said the NDRTF is composed of groups from the 5th and 7th Infantry Divisions of the Philippine Army, 1st Air Division of the Philippine Air Force and Naval Forces North Luzon of the Philippine Navy.
The DRRU, on the other hand, is based in Camp Aquino, San Miguel, Tarlac City and it will “serve as a quick reaction force in neighboring areas”, he said.
“We have started preparing for disaster operations even before the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration officially declared the onset of the rainy season,” he said.
Last Friday, David met here with key officers of different units from the Naval Forces North Luzon (NFNL), 1st Air Division, Philippine Air Force, 5th and 7th Infantry Divisions during the last day of their two-day seminar on disaster operations. The meeting assessed their “capabilities and limitations and at the same time determined grey areas that would have a bearing on future disaster relief, rescue and rehabilitation operations.”
Representatives from PAGASA and the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) also attended the seminar.
David admitted the “the need to fine-tune” Nolcom’s disaster response operation plans “in order to enhance preparedness for the unexpected challenges brought about by natural orman-made disasters and calamities.”
He cited the need for more “prompt and efficient response in the delivery of logistical goods and services especially in remote areas.”
Navy Lt. Senior Grade Joel Bautista, leader of the DRRU, met last Monday with members of his unit and reviewed all equipment such as rubber boat, life vests and other requirements for disaster operations.
After the disaster wrought by typhoon Ondoy and storm Pepeng last year, Bautista and his men were commended for their outstanding performance in relief and rescue operations.
“They responded immediately to distress calls from the affected residents and local officials. Even at midnight, the soldiers, armed with a chainsaw and using their bare hands, cleared the Bamban national road in Tarlac of fallen trees despite the heavy downpour of rain,” recalled Nolcom spokesperson Maj. Rosendo Armas.
David said the NDRTF is composed of groups from the 5th and 7th Infantry Divisions of the Philippine Army, 1st Air Division of the Philippine Air Force and Naval Forces North Luzon of the Philippine Navy.
The DRRU, on the other hand, is based in Camp Aquino, San Miguel, Tarlac City and it will “serve as a quick reaction force in neighboring areas”, he said.
“We have started preparing for disaster operations even before the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration officially declared the onset of the rainy season,” he said.
Last Friday, David met here with key officers of different units from the Naval Forces North Luzon (NFNL), 1st Air Division, Philippine Air Force, 5th and 7th Infantry Divisions during the last day of their two-day seminar on disaster operations. The meeting assessed their “capabilities and limitations and at the same time determined grey areas that would have a bearing on future disaster relief, rescue and rehabilitation operations.”
Representatives from PAGASA and the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) also attended the seminar.
David admitted the “the need to fine-tune” Nolcom’s disaster response operation plans “in order to enhance preparedness for the unexpected challenges brought about by natural orman-made disasters and calamities.”
He cited the need for more “prompt and efficient response in the delivery of logistical goods and services especially in remote areas.”
Navy Lt. Senior Grade Joel Bautista, leader of the DRRU, met last Monday with members of his unit and reviewed all equipment such as rubber boat, life vests and other requirements for disaster operations.
After the disaster wrought by typhoon Ondoy and storm Pepeng last year, Bautista and his men were commended for their outstanding performance in relief and rescue operations.
“They responded immediately to distress calls from the affected residents and local officials. Even at midnight, the soldiers, armed with a chainsaw and using their bare hands, cleared the Bamban national road in Tarlac of fallen trees despite the heavy downpour of rain,” recalled Nolcom spokesperson Maj. Rosendo Armas.
